Meet Tangela Babb

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tangela Babb.

Hi Tangela, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in Hopkinsville, KY. My mother who was a hard worker and took pride in taking care of others raised 3 girls on her own, one of which is my mom’s sister’s daughter. My aunt passed away due to a breast cancer diagnosis. My father unfortunately passed away before I was born.

With not much success at the time in the area, my plan was always to go to college and make something of myself, find my purpose. After high school, my goal was to become a lawyer or a cosmetologist. Well, that never happened. Somehow I applied to Western KY University, where I obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work and became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, Eta Zeta Chapter.

While navigating through my college years I was able to land a position at the local boys and girls club. During this time, I was able to assist, empower, provide a safe place, mentor, and advocate for our youth. It was amazing to see how many adolescent teen girls were so comfortable with having open, vulnerable conversations with me. Those young ladies I am often still in contact with today.

My career as a licensed master social worker led me to professional settings with Child and Adult Protective Services, Adults with Disabilities, Family Service Worker, and my current positions as a Primary Care Social worker with Veterans Affairs and a cancer group facilitator with Gilda’s Club.

I look back on the day Lipstick After Dark, Girls Mentoring was born. In 2019, I sat at my desk thinking I need an outlet. I am exhausted, burnt out, and experiencing compassion fatigue and secondary trauma. At some point during that day, I received a text with a video of adolescent girls engaged in a physical altercation.

It was so heartbreaking to watch teen girls physically hurt each other. What are you upset about? Who has hurt you? Where are their parents? What other ways can we try to prevent this type of incident from happening again?

L.A.D girls mentoring acknowledges that these teens will grow up to be women. Women who will wear lipstick. Women who will still come home take off their lipstick and still deal with childhood issues and childhood trauma. LAD gives teen girls the safe space to have these issues and trauma conversations amongst their peers.

Because as a teen we want validation from our friends. We want to fit in. At LAD, we want to normalize behaviors and feelings to help future success. We are a group facilitated prevention program. I could not have done this without my family, friends, and most importantly my volunteers.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Implementation and development of LAD Girls mentoring have definitely had some barriers.

I currently live in TN and am not able to be involved in as many community events as I would like, I have been able to send mentees out into the community with volunteers to ensure we are consistently bringing awareness to our program.

Our program has grown and gained an enormous amount of community support. It is very time-consuming and requires you to take on many different tasks, roles, and consumes a lot of energy from many different people. I have had to learn quickly to compartmentalize having a nonprofit, my full-time career, and my personal life.

By that, I mean taking breaks from social media, turning off my phone, and having all text messages on DND. There are certain times during the day or week when I make time for those interactions.

As you know, we’re big fans of Lipstick After Dark, Girls Mentoring. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am the Creator of LAD Girls Mentoring and a social worker.

I specialize in group facilitation, psychoeducation, crisis intervention, and solution-focused therapies. I have recently gained knowledge in nonprofit development and leadership. I am most proud of being able to go back to where I was born and raised and provide a program that I as well as other never had.

I would like your reader to know: LAD is a school-based program designed for girls in a world where they can be anything but themselves.

Mission Statement: The Lipstick After Dark Girls Mentoring program provides a safe space for girls and young women to be themselves in a world that constantly forces them to be anything but that. We will empower them with the tools to navigate life’s trials, challenges, and triumphs as they transition from girls to women.

Vision Statement: Lipstick After Dark empowers girls and young women with the confidence to understand self-worth, and overcome the obstacles and barriers encountered in their everyday lives. Our program taps into fears, thoughts, feelings, and emotions that manifest when there is no supervision.

We facilitate groups every 2nd and 4th Saturday, free of charge.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Hmm, I love country music. Mickey Guyton, Leeann Rimes, and Brett Young to name a few. I enjoy the lyrics, and how the songs tell a story, In my opinion, they are kind of simple and clear to understand.

I enjoy it and listen to the genre often.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lipstickafterdarkgirlsmentoring.org
• Instagram: @l.a.d_girlsmentoringky
• Facebook: Lipstick After Dark, LLC