I AM THE CHANGE: THE BLACK WOMEN’S AGENDA, INC. 41ST ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM TOWN HALL & AWARDS LUNCHEON
Weeks away from one of the most hotly contested midterm elections on record, The Black Women’s Agenda, Inc. (BWA) recently hosted its 41st Annual Symposium Town Hall and Awards Luncheon, underscoring the importance of action and activism and encouraging civic engagement.
The Town Hall challenged more than 800 participants to be catalysts for change – change for themselves, their families, and communities. The forum featured a panel of journalists, politicos, and educators who reminded attendees that maintaining a democracy is every citizen’s responsibility. Panelists included: moderator Sheinelle Jones, NBC News Co-Anchor and MSNBC Host; Michael Steele, Maryland Lieutenant Governor from 2003-2007 and former Chair of the Republican National Committee; CNN Political Commentators Symone Sanders and Tara Setmayer, and Cornell Belcher, progressive pollster and political strategist and Founder and President, Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies. Jones also presided over a second workshop that offered advice on living your best life at every age. Among the featured speakers were Sharon Epperson, CNBC Senior Personal Finance Correspondent; Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, President and CEO, Global Policy Solutions, LLC, and Dr. Glenda Glover, President, Tennessee State University and International President, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
“History has its eyes on us, to borrow a phrase, and it’s not just about what our elected officials do in terms of steering the course of this country. It’s what we do,” said Gwainevere Catchings Hess, President, The Black Women’s Agenda, Inc. “Inspiring women to live their best lives requires that we remind them that they not only have a stake in this society but a moral imperative to try to leave this world better than they found it.”
During the Annual Awards Luncheon, a standing-room-only crowd of more than 1,700 elected officials, journalists, corporate and community leaders and members of BWA’s 21 National Collaborating Organizations honored eight women as the personification of action, activism and civic engagement.
Recipients of this year’s BWA awards included:
Stacey Abrams
The Democratic Party’s nominee in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election. A lawyer, author, and businesswoman, she is the first Black woman to be a major party’s gubernatorial candidate in the United States
Dr. Helene D. Gayle
President and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s leading community foundations. The Trust works with donors, nonprofits, community leaders and residents to lead and inspire philanthropic efforts that improve the quality of life in the Chicago area. Dr. Gayle serves on public company and non-profit boards including Colgate-Palmolive Company,The Coca-Cola Company, the Rockefeller Foundation, Brookings Institution, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, New America and the ONE Campaign.
Tina Knowles-Lawson
Entrepreneur, designer and managing partner of the House of Deréon and Miss Tina fashion brands. Ms. Knowles-Lawson is also an author, philanthropist, and the mother of Grammy award-winning recording artists Beyoncé and Solange.
Tanya L. Lombard
Head of Multicultural Engagement and Strategic Alliances, AT&T. Lombard’s responsibilities focus on creating, promoting, and managing AT&T’s brand-messaging to minority communities through the development and stewardship of strategic community-based relations and projects.
The Honorable Sheila Y. Oliver
Lieutenant Governor, State of New Jersey – A former member and Speaker of the New Jersey State Assembly, Oliver is one of only three African-American women to hold statewide office.
Dr. Sandye Poitier Johnson
A renowned educator and retired principal widely credited with raising the academic standards and stature of the Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change in Harlem and helping it earn the prestigious designation as an International Baccalaureate World School.
The Honorable Karen W. Weaver
Mayor, City of Flint, Michigan – As mayor, Dr. Weaver declared a state of emergency in connection with the discovery of unsafe levels of lead in the water residents used for cooking, drinking, and bathing. She became a prominent figure as the resulting crisis and ongoing recovery captured national attention.
Eugena King
An Indianapolis, IN resident and matriculating freshman at Gustavus Adolphus College, a liberal arts college in St. Peter, MN, King was honored as the recipient of BWA’s Bright Futures Award and scholarship.
“What happens next in America is not anyone’s guess, it’s everyone’s business,” BWA President Hess told the gathering. ” As Black women, Black communities, we can vote, make our voices heard and hold elected officials accountable for addressing our interests, or we can stay home, sit on the sidelines and watch the train pass us by. Voting may not change everything, but it enables us to keep the change we seek within our grasp.”
Founded in 1977 in Washington, DC, The Black Women’s Agenda, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(C)3 organization that generates awareness and support for issues that secure, protect and advance the rights of Black women and their families. BWA is comprised of 22 collaborating organizations — sororities, civic, service and faith-based — representing millions of women worldwide.
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November is National Diabetes Awareness Month
According to the American Diabetes Association, “1.25 million Americans have type 1 diabetes and 40,000 people will be diagnosed with it this year. Type 1 diabetes occurs at every age, in people of every race, and of every shape and size.
In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. The body breaks down the carbohydrates you eat into blood sugar that it uses for energy—and insulin is a hormone that the body needs to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of the body. With the help of insulin therapy and other treatments, everyone can learn to manage their condition and live long healthy lives.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes—and it means that your body doesn’t use insulin properly. And while some people can control their blood sugar levels with healthy eating and exercise, others may need medication or insulin to help manage it.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
Founded in 1977, The Black Women’s Agenda, Inc. is a national organization with a mission of educating and protecting the rights of African American women and their families, and represents more than 3 million women.
This Open Letter is being sent in support of women throughout the United States and the World. We understand the importance of recognizing the “person-hood” of women and their complete dominion over their bodies, including matters of pregnancy and reproductive health.
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JOIN US LIVE NOW for our 46th Annual Symposium moderated by @SymoneDSanders
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BWA 46th Annual Symposium Townhall
Live Stream opens at 8 am EST Live Program begins at 9am - 11am ESTModerated by Symone Sanders-Townsend, Host of...
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Join @SymoneDSanders and @BWA3 live for BWA's Annual Symposium Townhall!
LIVESTREAM: Friday, September 22, 20203, @ 9 am EST.
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#bwabettertogether #bwaiamthechange #bwainc
Today in #BlackHistory — Unbought and Unbossed, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black Presidential nominee.
She shattered the glass ceiling and I'm beyond proud to represent part of her district! I am because she was.
We fought hard for this because birth control is essential to our reproductive freedom.
This victory will empower folks to make decisions about their bodies & their futures.
Congress must now pass our bill to #FreeThePill & make OTC birth control free for all who need it.
📢 Tonight`s the Night! Join us for an Important Townhall Webinar!
Don’t miss @theblackwomensagendainc and a panel of distinguished experts discussing “I Am The Change: Vaccines For Your Best Health” 🌍.
This Town Hall will increase awareness of critical prevention, testing, and treatment resources for respiratory viruses like COVID-19, flu, and RSV.
🗓️ Date: November 12th
🕣 Time: 8:30 pm ET
Let’s work together to stay informed and healthy. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C5pIyDF8Swmsayy8PiMT2Q
#RiskLessDoMore #VaccinesForYourBestHealth #IAmTheChange #BWAInc
You inspired. You encouraged. You remained steadfast.
We thank you being you.
"The fight for the ideals that reflect America at its best: Freedom, opportunity, fairness, and dignity. That is a fight I will never give up." - Vice President Kamala Harris, 2024 Presidential Candidate
Voting is still taking place in cities across the country. If you are in line, STAY IN LINE. You can cast your vote if you are in line before the polls close.
If you encounter any issues, please call the Voter Assistance Hotline immediately:
833-336-8683
#YourVoteMatters
#YourVoteIsYourVoice
We Are STRONGER Together! Every Woman in our country deserves to live freely and safely without fear of her health being criminalized.
As you prepare to go to the polls, remember the words shared here... I am one of them...
Your Vote is Your Voice. WE have the power to protect the rights of women in every community across OUR country!
#vote
The Polls Are Open on the East Coast!! The rest of the country is waking up and preparing to exercise their right to vote!
Save this Election Day Checklist as you head to to the polls.
Your safety is what is important. Voting is your right.
If you experience Election Day problems, report them immediately to:
1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) Call or text
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