Cedar Rapids, Iowa · Est. 2024
H.E.R. provides Black adolescent girls ages 12–18 with the skills, support, and cultural affirmation they need to thrive — before the system ever gets the chance to define them.
We are building while it is still unclear. Planting while others are watching. The harvest belongs to the girls.
"To develop emotionally intelligent, self-aware, and community-rooted leaders — before the system ever gets the chance to define them."
The Mission of H.E.R.Pathways to Power
Our flagship curriculum is organized around five developmental domains that build leaders from the inside out.
Grounding girls in who they are — culturally, personally, historically. Naming strengths before naming challenges.
Building the capacity to feel fully without being controlled by feeling. Practical tools for emotional management.
Redefining power as internal, relational, and community-rooted — not something granted by institutions.
Developing the skills and imagination to build a future on their own terms. Goal-setting and long-range thinking.
Creating accountable, reciprocal relationships. Understanding interdependence as strength, not vulnerability.
Who We Are
H.E.R. was founded by Micah J. Reed, a Cedar Rapids native who spent over a decade in residential treatment and trauma-informed youth work — and who built this organization because she knows from the inside what's missing.
H.E.R. is prevention-focused, school-based, and grounded in the belief that Black girls are not problems to be solved — they are leaders being developed.
Our Full StoryThe girls we serve today return tomorrow as the mentors, facilitators, and changemakers who sustain this work for the next generation.
Support the WorkCedar Rapids, Iowa · (319) 361-0111 · hopeempowermentresilience@gmail.com