Where does Rosario Dawson go to find hope

For the past 27 years the Lower Eastside Girls Club (LESGC) has provided a variety of free programs for young people of color in New York City. Serving young women and gender-expanded individuals between the ages of 10 and 23, hundreds pass through their doors each year.

The programs they offer are so huge and comprehensive. They include coding and robotics, STEM exploration, media and social justice studies, fashion, film and photography, music production, podcasting, culinary education, and more. Oh, there’s even a rooftop farm, recording studio and a 64-seat domed planetarium.

For Rosario Dawson who grew up on the Lower East Side before LESGC existed, this mecca of mentoring, learning and expanding curiosity held a special place in her heart.

“It didn’t exist when I was a little girl, but when I go there and see the programming they have and how they work with the community and how the community supports it, it just blows my mind,” says Dawson, who is on their board of directors. .

“So much of growing up is about how you get out of poverty and these circular traps. Bringing those resources into the community was so instrumental,” adds the actress, activist and co-founder of Ghana-based fashion house Studio 189.

“The Lower Eastside Girls Club it’s the bridge that continues to provide services to the community that you see in more affluent neighborhoods,” he adds. “And it’s given free to girls who are involved in projects and live in this community and deserve to have access to these things as well.”

Dawson loves taking guests there and seeing how amazed they are at the plethora of offerings. “Before visiting, most people just think of a room,” says Dawson. “But they walk in there and see the planetarium and the Airstream was flown into the second floor that had been gutted and turned into a recording studio. They see people designing clothes and videos… doing dance moves, yoga, mindfulness and meditation. It’s really well rounded and well served. And the people who work there are so dedicated.”

To that end, LESGC recently received an infusion of technology from Samsung. Dawson partnered with the brand and they outfitted the entire Lower Eastside Girls Club space with TVs and screens. In fact, Samsung donated 25 televisions to LESGC. “The building has been there for twelve years and we haven’t renovated it since,” says Dawson. “So to update, everything went to a whole other level.”

All this new technology has created new learning opportunities for girls. And Dawson is particularly drawn to screens. “You can do everything from playing video games to making video calls. It shows how one piece of technology can do many different things,” he says. “These are young people learning how to edit, film themselves and be leaders in front of and behind the camera. I’m excited to see what short films or plays we’ll be watching on the outdoor TV we now have on the roof. It’s beautiful to see young girls of all ages exploring this technology and seeing how they can express themselves.”

“Dawson also sees LESGC as a healing place as well as a sanctuary for herself. “For me it healed a little girl inside me who didn’t have access to these things and was feeling sad,” she says. “Also, there were people I grew up around who became vulnerable. I wish they had a space like this that invites them in and tells them they are welcome and deserve to be here.”

Whether she’s working with her own fashion line or with LESGC, Dawson’s first priority is to help support the dreams of others. “We are here for very short periods of time. And I feel the benefit of people who were thoughtful behind me,” he says. “I have my family. And as you grow older and start thinking about the future and what you’re leaving behind.”

What she likes about LESGC and her clothing line is that both are versatile. “Studio 189 is not just a fashion line that makes clothes,” he says. “We make sure it’s ethical, sustainable and regenerative. And we layer all the knowledge we have up to this point, ancient and new—so it can be refined even more.”

As Dawson shares, she sees a lot of responsibility just for being alive. “I’m not just here to witness. It’s important to be involved,” he says. “We are three-dimensional human beings. We can create and we can destroy. And that is a strong and important force that we have.”

And as she grows older, she continues to understand how people really do make a big difference. “Your vote matters. How you vote with your dollar, how you vote with your ballot, how you vote with your time, your attention, your energy. All of that matters,” he says.

So now when Dawson is looking for hope, she knows where to find it. “We got so frustrated with our social media and people being so divided,” she says. “When I go to the Lower Eastside Girls club, I see hope for the future. I see how we can come together and solve the problem with love and light.”