CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-area nonprofit formerly known as Girls Rock recently decided to change its name to We Rock in an effort to be more inclusive.
We Rock is the local arm of the national organization and has been in Charlotte since 2014. It uses music to help young people express themselves -- empowering them by teaching them to play instruments.
In recent years, the organization's leadership team and some of the long-time campers realized the term “girls” in the name sent the wrong message.
“Girls Rock really genders what we’re doing, and that’s the opposite of what we’re trying to accomplish,” Georgia Foley, who is a high school junior who has been participating in the organization’s camps since she was 13, said.
For years, We Rock has pledged to help young people feel comfortable in their own skin.
“It’s such a great environment," Foley said of the organization. "You’re able to express who you are without any repercussions. You’re truly accepted by everybody.”
Krystle Baller has been with We Rock since the beginning, and they said kids "need a place to come where they can just be themselves and not have their guard up."
In a time when some states are passing legislation that limits the rights of gay, trans and non-binary kids, Foley said it was important for everybody to feel the acceptance by the organization. We Rock youth director Lo‘Vonia Parks agreed.
“Language and identity is very important right now," Parks said. "We want to reflect that, and with the name change, we want to be more open to serving the needs of the community.”
Parks wants the organization's new name to demonstrate to the area that acceptance, adding "you can be what you want to be, whatever that is, we're here to embrace that."
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