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BECAUSE OF A BLACK WOMAN Precious Stroud
Precious taught me the importance of lifting up young sisters and the power of mentorship. Precious was my first mentor post-undergrad and she continues to support me over a decade later. Because of Precious, I have developed many young leaders and will continue to do so as I grow in my career…
Member Spotlight: Dr. Cathia Walters
BlackFemaleProject highlights who we are as a people and the variations that exist among us. To be able to see that and have it reflected not just to me but also to my kids and my grandkids—it’s just powerful beyond measure.
Member Spotlight: Alicia Meeks-Hunter
I believe in the mission because it’s true, and it encompasses a space for everybody. I think for me personally there have been moments in meetings where I don't feel comfortable speaking up, but I know that what other people are speaking into the space is true and resonates with me.
March 2024 Wellness Resources
As we come off a blissful Black History Month, full of refreshing opportunities to connect with our growing community, we are so present to the unstoppable power of Black women. We’re incredibly grateful to be inspired on the regular by a diverse network of Black women of various professions, generations, interests, and identities. Whether we find commonalities or differences, this vast network helps us tap into a sense of belonging and become more fully ourselves.
BlackFemaleProject Roadmap
BECAUSE OF A BLACK WOMAN Naomi Diouf
“…she always said to me, ‘Make sure you feel it in your body,’ ‘Allow it to get into your body,’ or asked, ‘Can you feel it in your body?’ Although in context she was teaching me the art of dance and hearing drum rhythms, her statements resonated throughout my life on a personal and professional level.”
BECAUSE OF A BLACK WOMAN Akaya Windwood
“She helped me see my inner wisdom and understand that my body is a great source of knowledge. When I am still and listen to my body, I am always clear about what to do next. At the start of each day, I make space to sit quietly and listen to my body.”
Member Spotlight: dana e. fitchett
The last phrase of our mission–self-defined success–is everything to me. Regardless of the political context or contemporary views, what matters most at the end of the day is self-determination, especially for Black women.
Member Spotlight: Sheila E. Lewis
Having stepped out of corporate America and created my own path with my two companies for the past 25 years afforded me the chance to look at things very differently. And my sense about being a Black female business owner changed when I had a company where I had employees.
Member Spotlight: Yvonne Williams-Castellanos
Every day Black women are asked to exploit ourselves for the benefit of others—to make slaves of ourselves and completely deny ourselves for the benefit of other people. And BlackFemaleProject firmly rejects this notion and says, “No, we’re not going to do that. We are going to uplift ourselves and affirm ourselves and our humanity for our own happiness and joy.”
Member Spotlight: Sandra Varner
I think the mission is reflective of who we are as Black women in the work space and every other space that we occupy. It’s central to our identity, our work, and our collective mission of being supportive of each other while fostering positive, uplifting, beneficial environments where we all thrive.
Member Spotlight: Ellie Tumbuan
There’s the reality of justice—that Black women deserve that. It’s also about understanding that, when Black women win, everybody wins. Period. Because of the known and unknown histories of what Black women have gone through in the workplace, the healing, the recognition, and the valuing of Black women need to not just be reconciled but prioritized.
The Bar for excellence WITH PRECIOUS J. STROUD
Growing up in the Bay Area, I was not viscerally aware of my experience as a minority. My parents, like many other Black folks, made sure of this. When I was growing up there were Black people everywhere from what I could tell. My parents patronized Black-owned businesses throughout Oakland and Berkeley.
February 2024 Wellness Resources
Questions of sameness and difference are so often oversimplified. We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that, as Black women, we inevitably share perspectives and inclinations.
Keeping the Vision Alive — Reflections from the New Year Visioning Workshop
Staying Connected: Winter 2024
2024 marks a major milestone for BlackFemaleProject: 10 years of service to Black women! We’re grateful to you, our community. We do this work because of you. To kick off this special year, we offer a new version of our Staying Connected newsletter. This edition highlights accomplishments from 2023, personal reflections from our team, and a peek into plans for 2024.
A Decade of Healing through Storytelling in Community:
I have been reminiscing about our origin story—how and why I founded BlackFemaleProject. As a young professional, I made an exhausting effort to dampen and quiet my spirit. I thought that in order to be employable, promotable, and non-threatening at work, I had to comply with the status quo.
January 2024 Wellness Resources
Checkout the wellness resources we’ve found for a more connected and balanced January.
Questions of sameness and difference are so often oversimplified. We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that, as Black women, we inevitably share perspectives and inclinations.
December 2023 Wellness E-Blast
When you create the space to imagine beyond the day-to-day grind and the need to simply keep up, what possibilities can you dream up for your life? This month's Wellness Calendar resources invite you to tap into the expansiveness of your imagination.
December 2023 Wellness Resources
As the season of coming together, acting generously, and expressing gratitude continues, we’re feeling especially grateful for the Black women who came before us—the women whose stories continue to serve as lamp posts as we navigate our own journeys.