An Open Letter to the Women’s Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (National Collaborating Organization), and Charleston Communities:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Black Women’s Agenda, Inc., I offer heartfelt prayers and condolences to the AME community and the entire City of Charleston, SC. We are all shocked and saddened by the senseless murders at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Our ties with the late Rev. Clementa Pinckney and the people of Charleston run deep. Dolly Adams, a member of our Board, shared that her husband, Bishop Adams, presided at the pastor’s wedding and christened his child. Rev. Pinckney was also related to another member of our board. BWA joins those who mourn the dead and pray for the wounded. It is disheartening to know that such hatred continues to exist in our country and the world.
It is ironic that on a day of euphoria when America’s promise for all shone bright — and the first female African-American Attorney General was sworn in by the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, before the first African-American President — a young man so consumed by prejudice and rage sought to take us back to a time when divisiveness, fear and suspicion reigned. We are not going back, and it is a tragedy that he could not grasp that, in an inclusive society, there is room and opportunity for everyone.
The struggle continues, but it will not be won if, as Americans, we live our lives in silos. Look up, reach out, and stay strong. We will overcome.
Sincerely,
Gwainevere Catchings Hess
OTHER NEWS
SPOTLIGHT FEATURE ON JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA, INC.
To be valued and loved. To know who you are and that you have the power to make a
difference. These are the aspirations that most mothers have their children. In 1938, in the midst
of the Great Depression, twenty African-American mothers in Philadelphia came together not to
hope or to dream, but to provide the opportunities, experiences, and life lessons that would
enable their children and others to live these truths. Their group became Jack and Jill of
America, Inc. – an organization that’s mission is as relevant today as it was some 80 years ago.
JUNE IS AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC APPRECIATION MONTH
This June, The Black Women’s Agenda, Inc. (BWA) joins our nation in celebrating the 40th Anniversary of African American Music Appreciation Month.
The month-long observance, which was first inducted on June 7, 1979, by President Jimmy Carter was christened as Black Music Month. President Barack Obama renamed the national observance as African-American Music Appreciation Month. The observance was created to recognize and celebrate the historical influence African-Americans have had on the music industry and is intended to pay homage to the many artists, writers, songs and albums that have inspired music lovers and shaped American pop culture.
May Is Lupus Awareness Month
In honor of Lupus Awareness Month, the Lupus Foundation of America released a new survey they recently commissioned which reveals the need for better public understanding of this devastating autoimmune disease and why early diagnosis is so important.
According to the Lupus Foundation of America, “The survey sample was designed to be reflective of the U.S. population’s diverse demographics. Women of color are at two to three times greater risk for developing lupus than Caucasian women. However, over half of respondents (62%) didn’t recognize that minority populations were disproportionately impacted by lupus.
Minority women tend to develop lupus at a younger age, experiencing more serious complications and have higher mortality rates. This was reflected among minority respondents who indicated they were also more worried about developing the disease than others surveyed: 44% compared to 29% of the sample overall.”
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