Dear Girls of Alabama MAIN.png
Alabama Senate Candidate Roy Moore has been accused of sexually assaulting or having inappropriate relationships with a number of teenage girls when he was in his 30s.
Lara Avsar is a Birmingham native and the founder of Her Little Story, a media company introducing young girls to successful female role models. Lara strives to empower young women daily, as witnessed in fan favorite 2017 TEDxBirmingham talk Let's stop the half-truths we tell young girls. Lara is an alumna of Barnard College (where she discovered the importance of female mentorship) and Harvard Business School. She currently lives in New York City.
Dear girls of Alabama,
I feel a duty to write to you today. I want you to know that you are powerful. And your voice matters.
I am sorry we looked away from you during this election. No, Roy Moore didn't win Tuesday night. But we let him get too far. A predatory and powerful man asked for support and found allies in our state. This should make you uncomfortable. Promise me you will never silence that feeling of discomfort. Promise me you will never stand behind a predatory and powerful man.
Lara Avsar is a Birmingham native and the founder of Her Little Story, a media company dedicated to the empowerment of young girls.
I am sorry about the message we sent to you by almost voting into office a man who abuses his power. Promise me you'll never stay silent about a man whose words say let us pray, but whose actions scream I have preyed. On women. And girls. For decades.
When I stood on stage last spring at TEDxBirmingham, I asked women to openly share stories of their trials, tribulations, and life limitations. I asked women to eliminate half-truths and tell real stories to empower you.
Please take a few minutes to think about the women in your life. Think about your mothers, your aunts, your grandmothers, your sisters, your neighbors. We've only recently become better at telling you just how much your voice matters.
Please promise me, when given the chance to share your voice, you won't stifle it. Promise me that, instead, you'll scream.
I realize now I forgot to add one thing: when one woman steps into the spotlight to share her darkest moments, all women must support her. Please promise me you will do a better job supporting the girls around you than we have done supporting the women around us.
Girls of Alabama, I feel obligated to write to you today because, not that long ago, I was just like you.
I, too, grew up witnessing men in most positions of power. And I know the world often acts like a woman's voice does not matter, sending the message that she is not as powerful as a man. You must speak anyway.
Use your voice to push beyond irrational limitations. I'll never forget one high school election season when a friend discouraged my student government dreams by informing me, "only men should be President because that's what my daddy taught me." That day in high school, I had a choice: I could accept her words or I could prove my friend, and her father, wrong. It was with my friend's words echoing in my ear that I graduated from a women's college having served as president of the student body.
Please internalize this fact: women are powerful and must have their voices heard. I need you to promise me that, if someone tries to take your power away from you, you will fight for it.
Use your voice to challenge norms and spark conversations. I'll never forget last spring when my Harvard Business School professor stated, "cross-gender mentorship is not fulfilling" for men or for women. That day, a female friend and I walked out of the class in protest.
The past few weeks, we the women of Alabama set a bad example. Promise me you will do better. Promise me you will take action sooner. Promise me you will realize the power of your voice.
For years, I waited for permission to speak. Don't wait. Go ahead. Dream big. Speak up. Because you are already powerful, and your voice matters.
And with that, girls of Alabama, I'll leave you with some advice: use your voice to put your unique mark on the world.
The Southern Girls Project is a collaborative listening and reporting effort spearheaded by AL.com and NOLA.com, and joined by girls, journalists, artists and researchers across the American South. Join the conversation on social media using #SouthernGirlsProject. You can find more from us on Instagram at SouthernGirlsProject. You can also join us on Facebook.