DES MOINES, Iowa — Hip Hope's "Many Shades of Colour, Young Women's Conference" is heading into the fourth year of inspiring and teaching young women. Due to the pandemic and making sure everyone is safe, organizers are holding it virtually this year.
The conference is open to young girls of all races from grades six through 12.
The theme for this year's conference is "I Am Me."
Organizers Valerie Jones and Valora James said the name encompasses what the conference is all about.
"This conference is meant to help them identify who they are, to know that whoever that is, is needed in spaces all over the world," Jones said.
Jones said knowing one's identity is vital during this time, especially after 2020 when there was social unrest and COVID-19.
There will be different workshops to help the young women know exactly who they are.
"Each year we have a youth planning committee that comes together and we talk about the different things that they're going through, and what they would like to see at the conference," James said.
She noted some of the workshops this year will focus on self-worth, academic achievement, cultural competency and emotional intelligence.
For the first time in the conference's history, some of the women on the youth planning committee will be able to facilitate some of the workshops.
To get some of the conference attendees excited about the upcoming conference, James and Jones have organized two registration contests.
One is an essay where the individual must describe a situation where someone encouraged them to be themselves. The other is a TikTok contest, where a person must create a video set to a woman's empowerment song.
Winners for the contests will be announced on the last day of the conference.
One thing James wants the attendees to take away from the conference is "knowing that everything they need is within themselves."
The conference will be held virtually March 1-6. To register, go to hiphopeinc.org