I walked down Atlanta’s Peachtree Street from MARTA and saw pockets of Black women all headed in the same direction. I fell into step with them, because I just knew they were going to Summit21 – the two-day conference designed for Black women. The conference is meant to help Black women create their vision for life and provide steps to make it a reality. Through masterclasses and fireside chats, the event pulled together some of the most recognized influencers in our communities and drew a crowd of 1,200 women to Atlanta for learning and networking.
Finally, me and the women – about twenty of us – walked into the AmericasMart building where the event was being held. Some of them were alone. I made a mental note that anyone willing to attend a two-day conference alone is committed to investing in themselves.
I also noticed the fashions. I wasn’t surprised about the sparkly stilettos, red bottoms, stylish suit sets and gown length ensembles, because everyone knows how Black women get down – especially Black women in Atlanta. Then there was the hair: afros, waist length braids, locs (real and faux), mohawks and baldies. Natural colors, rainbow colors and everything in between.
We rode the escalator up to the registration area and found our tribe – hundreds of women in line, chatting while they waited to register. The phrase “we are not a monolith” came to life in this room. From the meek and soft spoken to the loud and brazen, all personality types were present – and welcome.
We kicked off the conference with a big ole group meditation session facilitated by Yoga Educator Chelsea Jackson Roberts. She guided the noisy, excited room into a deep, quiet meditation, and for a few minutes I forgot I was surrounded by hundreds of vibrant spirits.
The event had a Beauty, Financial and Impact track. I chose Impact.
My first session was “Honing and Amplifying Your Power Message, led by Brittany Packnett, who is the vice president of national community alliances for Teach for America and known for being heavily involved in planning the Ferguson protests. Brittany reminded us how powerful our words are. “There are people who listen to you whether you have a blue check mark by your Twitter name or not. There are people who will do what you say to do. You have to be responsible with your message.” She encouraged us to keep our message accessible so that anyone, anywhere could relate to it.
In the session that followed, Rashad Henderson, executive director of racial justice organization Color Of Change, spoke to the fact that “Presence is retweets, followers, visibility, a Black president and a celebrity who can shut the internet down by announcing her pregnancy. But power is the ability to change the rules.” Rashad says we should always seek to change the rules in our favor in lieu of just seeking visibility and stardom.
I got to my last session of the day, “Living an Eco-friendly Life from Head to Home” led by Kristian Henderson, pen in hand; but a pen and notepad weren’t necessary, because Kristian led us into a conversation, and when we have deep, meaningful conversations with girlfriends we don’t take notes. Session attendees took turns sharing what it means to live a life that supports our values, communities and the environment.
As a frequent conference-goer with high expectations for my people, I also assessed the event to see how I thought they could improve future events. I decided that overall, the conference did a great job fostering and displaying sisterhood; however, I would have liked more clear, tangible and actionable takeaways (and more signage to let people know where things were happening).
Despite these minor observations, seeds were planted that I can act on myself, and for that I am grateful.
Communicate with P.E.P 