Girl Scouts of the USA and BET Networks to Host Panel Discussion: Building African American Girl Leaders

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Together with BET Networks, Girl Scouts of the USA and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) are sponsoring a panel discussion featuring Debra L. Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET Networks, Representative Karen Bass (D-CA), Essence magazine Editor-in-Chief Constance C.R. White, Beverly Bond, founder of Black Girls Rock! Inc and other media, youth and business leaders. The event will explore African American girls' leadership development following the release of The Resilience Factor, a report by the Girl Scout Research Institute examining how African American and Hispanic girls define, experience, and aspire to leadership.

"Growing up in a community rooted in achievement, making a difference and having a positive impact on African Americans is something that has always been important to me," said Debra L. Lee. "At BET Networks, empowering our young people for a brighter future is at the core of who we are and certainly a big part of the work we do on air and in our community with organizations like the Girl Scouts."

In its research, the Girl Scout Research Institute found that African American and Hispanic girls are more likely to view themselves as leaders, and also more likely to aspire to leadership than their Caucasian peers. Specifically, the research revealed that societal problems, like racism or economic disenfranchisement, may actually cause African American girls to become resilient and develop leadership skills.

Fifty-three percent of African American girls desire to be leaders.  African American girls want to be the kind of leader who stands up for her beliefs and values (88%), brings people together to get things done (87%), and tries to change the world for the better (83%).

In addition, African American girls in touch with their ethnic identity and religion who maintained positive relationships with parents and family had higher levels of self confidence and greater leadership aspirations than girls who did not.

As the preeminent leadership-development organization for girls, Girl Scouts recognizes the need to cultivate courage and confidence among African American girls. Both Girl Scouts of the USA and BET Networks continue their deep commitment to African American girls. In 2010, BET Networks partnered with BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering African American girls, for the first televised show "highlighting the accomplishments of exceptional women of color."  For more information on Girl Scouts of the USA, please visit: http://www.girlscouts.org/

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

SOURCE Girl Scouts of the USA