A Girls Promise

A Girl’s Promise empowers women to put a stop to behaviors and thought processes that halt many from realizing their value and full potential by helping them raise the bar on self-worth and improve their lives from within.  

Our 2e.m.b.r.a.c.e empowerment model helps teach women to stand firm in the face of adversity, speak up about the issues that concern them, make concrete choices, develop personal and academic potential, become leaders and entrepreneurs in their communities and make a significant imprint on women's lives everywhere.

A Message from the Founder

Over 3 million children witness violence in their home each year.

I was one of those children! My name is Leon Adams and I’m the owner of 2e.m.b.r.a.c.e, LLC and the Founder and CEO of A Girl’s Promise, Inc.  

I grew up in the sixties on the southeast side of Chicago with my mom, dad, an older brother and younger sister.  My parents had 9-5 jobs so we were essentially latch key kids, kids who were taught at a very early age to take care of themselves.  We got ourselves ready for school every morning and then walked or took the bus to and from school.  My life seemed great for the most part but after 5 pm and the weekends, unfortunately, it often turned into a much different story.  

I don’t think I remember my dad ever not walking through the front door without a 6 pack of beer.  Whatever fun I remembered happening earlier in the day would somehow dissipate upon his arrival home. My dad was the kind of man that just liked to argue, about anything with anybody and sadly, my mom was the one on the receiving end.  We all got used to walking on eggshells for fear he would lash out because it became difficult to read his moods.  Thus began a cycle of screaming, fighting, and crying that went on for years.  Is this what a relationship is?  My siblings and I knew they were better apart than together but my mom was unable to walk away. Too often women find it difficult to leave even if violence is a factor.

Just to clarify, I’m not here to vilify my father.  We certainly had our differences over the years but I’ve forgiven him, I love him and a lot of who I am today is because of him and what he’s taught me about numerous things.

These behavior patterns of mental, verbal & physical abuse weren’t just in my home, it was a common occurrence within my neighborhood and usually brought about a cycle of abuse that never stopped.  I remember witnessing our neighbor get badly beaten by her husband.  I was 13 and I’ll never forget how it made me feel.  I could not fathom why this violence against women was running rampant and no one was interested in stopping it, not even the women themselves, WHY?

Male children who witness the abuse of mothers by fathers are more likely to become men who batter in adulthood than those male children from homes free of violence. (NCADV)

I not only beat the statistic, I chose to ‘break the cycle’ by creating 2e.m.b.r.a.c.e in 2003 as a tribute to my mother and 3 daughters.  Additionally, A Girl’s Promise is built on the 2e.m.b.r.a.c.e philosophy which teaches young women how not to live in ‘Concrete Shoes’.

Concrete Shoes” is the inclination to stay in a situation when everything is telling you to leave. It’s about not going with your gut instinct, not standing your ground, and not keeping your boundaries.

You say things like, “This is the last time…,” “If it ever happens again…”  I’m through”, “It’s over”.  But when you’re faced with the reality of that “next time” you don’t hold up under the pressure.  And so you set that boundary again… and again and again, but you don’t ever leave.

You feel like you’ve lost control, you are physically and emotionally drained and that is why those “Concrete Shoes” keep you there.

Your support helps AGP raise the necessary funds to obtain permanent seminar space/computer resource center to provide the following services:

Empowerment coaching seminars

One-on-one mentoring

Entrepreneurial skills development

Leadership skills development

Workplace software training