The Imminent Ladies of Virtue club, or ILOV, is a fairly new component of the Bridge Builder program that began in 2002. Like the PGC, members of The Imminent Ladies of Virtue – Imminent meaning 'about to happen' and Virtue meaning 'showing moral excellence' – attend 25 different high schools in the Portland area. They are chosen after a month-long application process. Their goal is to be elevated to The Society of Oshun and be considered a woman in the community. If these young ladies make it through the club, they will become women. But the question is ... What type of women would they be without an authentic rite of passage?
Here are the ILOV areas of focus:
Spirituality – Unlike the American philosophy of separation of church and state, the Africans believe that spirituality is infused with everyday life. In The Bridge Builders program students are encouraged to practice the faith of their choice and write a Life Book. Our most popular expression of spirituality is through our performance teams: dance, music, speech, and step.
Scholarship – Imminent ladies are expected to maintain a B grade point average and matriculate into a college or university upon high school graduation. To assist the students in reaching this goal, the Imminent Ladies are assigned to academic mentors at Concordia University and meet for a minimum of three hours per week. Students who reach their academic goals are eligible to attend the Annual Spring Heritage Tour. (Please visit the Heritage Tour page to learn more about this educational program.)
Entrepreneurship – Each month a different company sponsors Purification Day. The Imminent Ladies wear a white blouse and sash to school and eat lunch with a professional from the sponsoring company. Imminent Ladies apply for internships and summer jobs with these companies as well as others. Also students are taught the concepts of owning their own businesses.
Community Building – The Imminent Ladies also participate in activities and community celebrations the Bridge Builders sponsor for Kwanzaa, Black History Month, Juneteenth, Women's History Month, and high school graduations.
IMMINENT LADIES OF VIRTUE (ILOV) Class Directors
Class of 2006 | Class of 2007 | Class of 2008 | Class of 2009
* Photographs taken by Aevum Images