Friday was International Women’s Day, a global celebration that aims to empower women on their journey toward social, economic, cultural and political equality. This year’s theme is “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.”
Progress is synonymous with women. Women have moved our nation forward for more than 150 years. Freedom fighter Harriet Tubman galvanized the abolitionist movement. Susan B. Anthony led the suffrage movement. Rosa Parks’ decision to be jailed rather than give up her bus seat invigorated the Civil Rights Movement. In modern times, women have been at the helm of the feminist, Me Too and Black Lives Matter movements.
Greater Williamsburg’s celebrations of women’s history have not disappointed. They began with a week of events that started on March 1 with the “Power of Women” luncheon sponsored by the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce. This sold-out event featured Connie Matthews Harshaw, president of the Let Freedom Ring Foundation. Her address focused on reaching young women to help them understand what power looks like and how to use it wisely.
“The power of women is we plan; we are resilient; we tell the truth; we recognize the need to collaborate to get things done; and we have choices,” Matthews Harshaw said to the packed audience, which included members of the Girl Scouts, Jack & Jill and the Lafayette High School girls basketball team.
On Thursday, Virginia Peninsula Community College hosted “Celebrating Women Forging Our Future,” a leadership development workshop moderated by VPCC President Towanna Porter Brannon. It featured a diverse group of women leaders, including Jennifer Smith-Brown of J. Smith McDonald’s, My Lan Tran of the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce, Lauren Moore of the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce and Gaby Lopez Rengifo of the Hispanic Chamber of Coastal Virginia.
The week culminated with the International Women’s Day celebration held Friday at William & Mary. Nearly 100 women gathered at W&M’s School of Education for a full day of programs designed to educate and celebrate women. The event came together through the efforts of two women, Leandra Parris and Ti’Juana Gholson, who were seeking to build a bigger table.
Gholson, who leads the nonprofit Inner Peace Coalition, explained: “We were chatting one day and I asked Dr. Parris (dean of diversity and inclusion for the School of Education) if she’d be interested in collaborating and doing an event that encourages, rejuvenates and empowers women. We started putting our heads together and developed a full program to include educational topics on business, finance, health care, social justice, multilingualism, gender equality and more.”
The “and more” included arts and crafts stations, blood pressure, blood sugar and blood cholesterol screenings and networking opportunities with panelists and other participants.
The long-awaited day began with a 10 a.m. keynote panel titled “Breaking the Glass” featuring Amber Price, president of Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center; Brannon of VPCC; and Terry Banez, president of the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce. All three were the first women in their positions. They discussed leadership, societal changes and what is necessary to empower women in the future.
When asked about how their organizations are living up to the International Women’s Day theme of investing in women, Price said she is taking a trauma-informed care approach for staff. “I am known as the CEO who gives doctors hugs. I also have a women employee resource group.”
Banez said she provides chamber staff with mentoring, leadership training opportunities and a free gym membership. Brannon provides coaching and mentoring and offers a president leadership series. She encouraged women to “be brave and have frank and honest conversations about issues.”
After breaking for a catered lunch, there were afternoon sessions that included something for everyone — topics included religion and spirituality, education, business, women’s health, economics and finance, and gender and sexual identity.
I was honored to serve as a panelist for a discussion titled “Leading Social Change” along with community leaders Harshaw and Johnette Weaver. As I prepared for the discussion, a quote by Nancy Pelosi, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, was tossing around in my mind. It summed up the first week of Women’s History Month.
“Women are leaders everywhere you look — from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children and heads her household. Our country was built by strong women, and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes.”
When we come together to create more equitable and just communities, we all win!
Laura D. Hill is the executive director of the Virginia Racial Healing Institute, which manages Coming to the Table-Historic Triangle. Learn more about her work at varacialhealinginstitute.org.
