D.U.B - Press Profile
2011 Union Square Award Recipient
519 W. 189th Street, Suite FGNew York, NY 10040
Media Contacts: Claudia De la Cruz, Co-Founder
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it | 646-942-2444
Da Urban Butterflies (D.U.B) has created a space for young women of color to build individual strengths and leadership skills. Since 2004, it has trained young women, built ties with community residents, business owners, and institutional leaders. D.U.B is committed to developing strong, conscious and pro-active leaders who promote social justice, especially young women, 13 to 25 years old, living in the Washington Heights/Inwood community. The name “Da Urban Butterflies” is in honor of the Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic who were brutally murdered in 1960 for organizing against the Trujillo dictatorship. ‘Butterflies’ was the sisters’ secret code name.
Young women complete a three month education program and participate in community activities, monthly meetings, and fundraising. Groupings by age -- 13 to 16, 17 to 21, and 22 to 30 years old -- recognize varying needs at each developmental stage.
Activities are varied and include the Young Latina Encounter, a forum for young Latinas and other community members to explore issues of identity and culture, reproductive rights, immigrant women workers’ rights, civil liberties, gender inequality and sexual rights. A seven-week Summer Youth Leadership Development Institute provides leadership development opportunities in community organizing, campaign development, and advocacy. D.U.B also launched Rainbow of Love for LGBTQ youth in Washington Heights in 2010. The first event was a vigil in support of the LGBTQ community responding to a wave of bullying and assaults taking place throughout the neighborhood.
For the past three years, D.U.B has also collaborated with three high schools in Upper Manhattan (to facilitate workshops and discussions with students about gender violence, healthy relationships, and sexuality as well as police brutality and the politics of war). The goal is to create a safe space for youth who may not have any other place to engage with these issues.