I want to make young women more aware of the resources available to them and the dangers associated with risky sexual behavior.

Kanesha is a member of the Young Women of Color Leadership Council.

I’m 20 years old and I attend the University of Virginia. When I was young I heard someone refer to my generation as the “X generation”, meaning there was no hope for us. Since then I have been motivated to prove them wrong. I wanted to prove that we were much more capable and able then they thought. Before I began being an activist for sexual health and rights, I was an activist for young women of color, primarily African American women.

I started my activism by mentoring to young adolescent girls about how to carry themselves and be successful. I wanted to become an activist for sexual health because of the large amount of people, specifically young women of color, who were infected with HIV/AIDs or have contracted some other type of STI. Young women of color are the most affected by HIV/AIDs due to many reasons, some of the main reasons being lack of knowledge about the risks of sex and lack of resources.

I wanted to improve on these conditions. I wanted to make young women more aware of the resources available to them and the risks associated with risky sexual behavior. This was the reason I decided to join the Young Women of Color Leadership Council. I believe with the help of God, dedication, and hard work we can improve these conditions and help many young women. God bless!!