Pittsfield — A benefit for the Rites of Passage and Empowerment program (R.O.P.E.) will be held on Friday, October 6 at 7 p.m. at Berkshire Community College’s Boland Theatre on West Street. Stand-up comedian Eryca Nolan will host the event, which will include performances by blues musician Gaye Adegbalola and Gina Coleman’s Misty Blues.
According to its website, R.O.P.E. is an empowerment program for young women of color and young people identifying as female or non-binary. The mission of the program is to “celebrate and honor the entry of adolescents into adulthood and provide them with the skills and knowledge that they need to be successful, independent, and responsible people.”
The program was founded by community activist Shirley Edgerton in 2010. “This is a mentoring program for young people,” Edgerton told The Berkshire Edge. “We’ve created this safe space to help folks grow and develop. We also want to help them be exposed to potential careers and to professional women who may or may not have challenges, but certainly relate to them. We want to help these young women of color to grow and develop.”
Edgerton said that, currently, 16 young women enrolled in middle and high school are part of the program. The group also has an “Ambassadors” program for children under 12 who are not yet able to join R.O.P.E. programming, due to its middle- and high school-age requirements.
“If we look at research and statistics about the need for adults to help children in developing their self-confidence and self-esteem, to make sure that they know that all things are possible, that whole mirror image is important,” Edgerton said. “Based on the fact that we live in a community where you often don’t see a lot of people of color, we know that having this type of programming has a positive impact. It provides an opportunity for young women of color to see themselves and to see, potentially, who they can become. R.O.P.E. is excited about the direction we are heading and we are all really grateful for the opportunities we have been able to provide young women over the years.”
Tickets to the event can be purchased online for $30 here, or at the door for $35.
