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
April Is National Minority Health Month
This April, join The Black Women’s Agenda, Inc. in celebrating National Minority Health Month. This year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (OMH) will join partners in raising awareness about the important role an active lifestyle plays in keeping us healthy. Their theme for the 2019 observance is Active & Healthy, which will “allow OMH and minority health advocates throughout the nation to emphasize the health benefits of incorporating even small amounts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity into our schedules.
Black Women Focus on Aging Mastery
The Black Women’s Agenda recently hosted a summit themed, “I Am the Change: Living Your Best Life at Every Age,” at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. Sponsored by AARP and featuring leading experts in the fields of health, education, and economic security, the event focused on the importance of health and wellness in the aging process.
“Too often black women are focused on everyone and everything except themselves,” said panel moderator Dr. Rockeymoore Cummings. “Our concern for and work on behalf of our families and communities competes with our ability to implement self-care strategies that support our physical, emotional, spiritual, and socioeconomic wellbeing.”
March is Women’s History Month
This March, join The Black Women’s Agenda, Inc. as we celebrate Women’s History Month. Congress first declared March as Women’s History month in 1987. Since then, every year there’s a Presidential Proclamation to announce the month and to honor women who have made a notable impact in history.
According to the National Women’s History Alliance, “In February 1980, President Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th 1980 as National Women’s History Week. In the same year, Representative Barbara Mikulski, who at the time was in the House of Representatives, and Senator Orrin Hatch co-sponsored a Congressional Resolution for National Women’s History Week 1981. This co-sponsorship demonstrated the wide-ranging political support for recognizing, honoring, and celebrating the achievements of American women.
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