Long Island gets its first Pearlettes, an African American youth group
Zeta Phi Beta’s Valerie Cartwright-Bernardin assists Pearlette Noelle Bernardin, 8, while Pari Copeland-Nonteder, left, watches and Melody Howard, 8, decorates her shoe boxes that will be filled with toiletries to give to shelters. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Pari Copeland, 7, of Garden City, is one of 13 girls making history on Long Island this year as one of the first Pearlettes, a youth arm of the historically black Zeta Phi Beta Inc. sorority.
"We learned about the Pearlette flower," Pari says. "A blue bell." And the Pearlette colors of blue and white, says Pari, who is in third grade. "I like helping people. I’m looking forward to learning new things," she says.
Pearlettes Pari Copeland-Nonteder and Noelle Bernardin, 8, decorating shoe boxes as part of their community service goals. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
The international sorority has had youth affiliate clubs in the United States since the 1950s, and Pearlettes since the1970s, but this is the first time there is a Long Island contingent, says Denise Leary, of West Babylon, president of Long Island’s Rho Omega Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Inc. Many historically African American organizations work with youth, "but not many of them have a formal, titled youth program," Leary says. Girls’ mothers do not have to be sorority members for them to participate in the program.
Zeta Beta Phi has two other adult chapters on Long Island, but neither of them has a youth affiliate, according to the group presidents. Cynthia Gamble, president of the Nu Phi Zeta chapter, which covers Suffolk County, says she thinks it's a "wonderful" program that Leary's chapter has launched. "Based on my experience working with young girls, it's very rewarding, and the girls get a lot out of it," she says.
LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY SERVICE
Jaqueline Williams and Pearlettes Joy Williams, 6, of Brooklyn, Noelle Bernardin, 8, of Port Jefferson Station, Gianna Jean-Charles, 8, of Wheatley Heights, Jolie Cherisier, 5, of Coram, Pari Copeland, 7, of Garden City, walk in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Wantagh. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
The Pearlettes are the first leg of a three-level youth arm, for girls ages 4 to 8. Long Island's Rho Omega Zeta chapter plans to add the second and third levels — an Amicette group for ages 9 to 13 and the Archonette group for ages 14 to 18 — as the current Pearlettes transition up, says Jacqueline Williams, 41, a senior court analyst from Brooklyn who is the group's youth chairperson and whose youngest daughter, Joy, 6, is in the group. The youth affiliate goals are educational enrichment, leadership development, community service and culture awareness and social skills enhancement. The Long Island Pearlettes formed in September and will meet monthly during the academic year. There is a membership fee to join; the group declined to disclose the rate. They also hosts fundraisers for programming.
Zeta Phi Beta’s Tanya Bacchus assists Pearlette Jolie Cherisier, 5, with decorating shoe boxes that will be filled with toiletries to give to shelters. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
"This started now because we have a group of advisers who are passionate about starting a youth group," says Summer Daniel, 39, of Massapequa, director of operations for Northwell Health’s R.J. Zuckerberg Cancer Center. Daniel's daughter, Savanna Cobb, 7 is a Pearlette. "We have a lot of chapter members who have young girls within that age group."
So far, the Pearlettes have had an introductory meeting in September, a meeting in October during which they made "Be A Buddy, Not A Bully" video public service announcements to post on the sorority’s Instagram page, walked together in October’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at Jones Beach State Park, and met in November to learn about the voting process and to make shoeboxes to fill with toiletries to give to homeless shelters. "They’re going to be integral in being present for some of our Kwanza activities," Daniel says.
CONNECTING WITH PEERS, ROLE MODELS
Jeffica Cherisier, 42, a therapist and case manager from Coram, enrolled her 5-year-old daughter, Jolie, to expose her to "like minded girls who look like her," she says. "She loves it. She’s already claimed a best friend from the group," Cherisier says.
Alysia Copeland, a senior medical biller from Garden City, says she enrolled Pari because the women in the sorority "are individuals of great stature in career goals and community" who will be a positive influence on her daughter.
"I’m very big on having her do a whole lot of different things, to have the outlets to guide her through life," Copeland says.
Beth Whitehouse writes about families, parenting and great things to do with the kids on Long Island. She’s been a Newsday editor and shared a 1997 Newsday staff Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800.