With SisterMentors, Dr. Shireen Lewis Is Building a Fierce Future for Women and Girls of Color in Ed

(long, worthwhile read)
With SisterMentors, Dr. Shireen Lewis Is Building a Fierce Future for Women and Girls of Color in Education
8/30/2022 by Dee Martin


Dr. Shireen Lewis is the executive director of EduSeed and founder of EduSeed’s SisterMentors program. (Courtesy of SisterMentors)

Two decades ago, Ms. had the honor of interviewing the founder of SisterMentors, Dr. Shireen Lewis, in its Summer 2000 issue—and here we are again, just as SisterMentors celebrates its 25th anniversary this September. Lewis has dedicated her entire professional life to creating and growing SisterMentors, a nonprofit program that helps women and girls of color in the education system. Through her important work, she empowers young women and girls of color to overcome deep-seated institutional inequities in education and in the workplace. For 25 years, her work has helped over 100 women of color earn higher education degrees, including Ph.D.s in math, science and economics.

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The original Ms. article on Shireen Lewis, as it appeared in the June/July 2000 issue.



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sistermentors-shireen-lewis-black-women-students-of-color-school-collegeIn SisterMentors’ unique mentoring model, girls of color primarily from low-income families are mentored by women of color doctoral students, many of whom are first-generation college graduates. (Courtesy of SisterMentors)
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sistermentors-shireen-lewis-black-women-students-of-color-school-collegeSisterMentors’ vision is to create a space where women of color doctoral candidates can work together to help each other complete their doctoral degrees. (Courtesy of SisterMentors)


My message for girls of color: What we are already doing with the girls in SisterMentors—we tell them to “go deep.” Explore contemplative practices as this will help you deal with what’s happening in the world today, especially events that may cause trauma like the pandemic, mass shootings, climate change and racist incidents. What I mean is to create daily practices like meditation, mindfulness, yoga—things that help you to be more self-aware, and help you go within. Contemplative practices will help you to do just that.

We need young women who can cope and be leaders to help us solve these complex problems. There is a saying that if you want to change the world, change yourself first.

To hear more from Dr. Shireen Lewis, tune into my interview with her on this episode of “Madam Policy.“https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sistermentors-dr-shireen-lewis-celebrating-25-years/id1570666986?i=1000565425404