From our Arthur Ashe commemorative issue: These Richmonders share Ashe's commitment to strengthen the African-American community.
Angela Patton (Photo by Joey Wharton)
While working as the site director for the Tuckahoe YMCA’s after-school program several years ago, Angela Patton noticed the programming didn’t engage or interest many of the young girls. She observed them watching the boys play rather than contributing or interacting with one another. Patton would soon find a way to get them into the game.
She developed a camp to help young girls learn to lead and not sit on the sidelines. But first, she needed some campers. She canvassed the city to see what girls and their parents thought of the idea and noticed that African-American families were more eager to participate. That’s when she realized she could serve as a role model in an underserved community.
“[Local families] really believed in the work I wanted to do because they saw the major gaps for girls in our city,” Patton says.
She named the camp in honor of Diva Mstadi Smith-Roane, a 5-year-old who died in a firearm accident earlier that year. For Camp Diva, she collaborated with Kamala Benjamin, director of youth services at Friends Association for Children, a former orphanage turned nonprofit agency that aids children and families. The pair had become acquainted through Patton’s work with ART 180. With Benjamin on board, they raised funds to help finance the camp’s activities. Twelve girls entered Camp Diva that first year, in 2004. It was just the beginning.
Camp Diva got national attention in 2007 when it sponsored a daddy-daughter dance at the Richmond Justice Center. The event allowed girls and their incarcerated fathers to spend time together. Patton has since held eight such dances. In 2012, she did a TEDx talk about the impact of bringing girls and their incarcerated fathers together.
“Our daddies are our mirrors that we reflect back on when we decide about what type of man we deserve,” Patton said in the talk, which has been viewed over 867,000 times online.
In 2013, Camp Diva merged with Girls for a Change, a California-based group led by Whitney Smith that was doing similar work. It was a turning point for Camp Diva and Patton, as the program went national, with her taking on the role of CEO. Now Girls for a Change serves 100 girls’ groups across the U.S., with a goal of transforming mentees into strong, productive young women. Within Girls for a Change are eight distinct programs: a before- and after-school program, Girls Who Code RVA, Girls Ambassador Program, Camp Diva Leadership Academy, Girls Action Teams, Black Girl Showcase, Black Girl Rally and Date with Dad Weekend.
“We’re committed to making sure our girls are ahead of the learning curve and trying to make sure our girls have access, access, access — and they are no longer left behind the margin,” Patton says.
She’s also reinforced the need for strong female role models to bring the girls up to speed with STEM education. Patton hopes that by presenting the girls with examples of successful professional women, they can envision their own success.
She says. “I think that’s really powerful.”
Like Arthur Ashe, Patton’s social platform rose from a need to educate. All she wanted was a girl’s summer camp. What she got was an opportunity to change lives.
“He knew he would save more lives if he took a stand [raising awareness about HIV/AIDS],” she says. “It was bigger than him. You have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone — and that takes bravery.”
