“I’m
definingmy own path”
She empowers. She teaches. She houses women in need. And now Shante Duncan aims to build up north St. Louis. By Sara Bell At 8 o’clock on a miserably cold February morning, eight middle school girls shuffle into their school library one by one. The first student with a bright smile shouts a morning greeting as she walks in and pins her hair into a ponytail. Another arrives, leans her head on the center table and begins to explain that she’s coming down from a sugar rush caused by her morning breakfast. After six others find unique routes to their seats, the girls make another round of individual introductions. They begin by affirming themselves – some touting their inner strengths, others their outer beauty – and end by saying something positive about the person sitting next to them, creating a space for empowerment and a community of sisterhood. Such is the routine for L.O.V.E. Project instructor Shante Duncan four days a week in nine schools across the St. Louis region.
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