The ever-popular Sister Spokesman kicked off Women’s History Month in style this past Saturday at LifeSource headquarters with a resounding declaration of empowerment and self-worth.
Going strong for more than 15 years now, Sister Spokesman—the vision of Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR) CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard—provides African American women the space to learn, share, laugh, love, and support one another and the needs of the larger community.
The theme for this latest installment of Sister Spokesman was “Strong, Brave, and Unbreakable.” A capacity crowd was treated to fun, prizes, good food, music, and the chance to connect with several outstanding community-based vendors, including Big Hat Luncheon, Tea With Me, Duka Ya Mama Atieno, NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, Pink Pearl Bliss Yoni Steam Spa, and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.
However, the centerpiece of the afternoon was the powerhouse panel made up of Stella Whitney-West, Leticia Alvarez, and Kenya McKnight Ahad.
After a welcome and opening remarks from LifeSource Event Coordinator Celeste Hanson, who spoke to how her agency improves and saves lives through promoting organ, eye, and tissue donation, Williams-Dillard began the discussion with a heartfelt introduction of panelist Whitney-West, who will soon retire after 17 years as chief executive officer at NorthPoint Health & Wellness.
“I look up to you,” said Williams-Dillard while thanking Whitney-West for her legacy and the indelible impact she has made here in the Twin Cities and beyond.
Asked to comment on strength in leadership, Whitney-West conveyed the value of empowering everyone on your team at “all levels of the organization. Everyone is important,” she continued, “not just those at the top. A strong leader must recognize this and always keep the door open for others.”
There was a common thread that appeared in the insightful words of Alvarez and McKnight Ahad, each of whom talked about the strength and courage passed down from their elders.
“I stand on the shoulders of others,” explained Alvarez, a student advocate, youth peacemaker, and mentor in the public schools, citing her grandmother Norma Jean Williams and great-grandmother Launa Q. Newman, both MSR royalty. “So, I have some really big shoes to fill.”
Likewise, when recounting the days growing up in her native Kankakee, Illinois, McKnight Ahad, the founder and CEO of the Black Women’s Wealth Alliance (BWWA), fondly spoke about her great-grandmother Mrs. Tucker, who “raised five generations of kids.”
After recently purchasing Mrs. Tucker’s home back in Kankakee, McKnight Ahad realized just how small the house she spent so much time in actually was and marveled at how her great-grandmother managed to take care of all those youngsters. “She made it work!”
Along those same lines, Whitney-West imparted that men can also play a role in growing strong Black women, noting the immense influence that both her father and the first African American teacher in her Rondo school, Mr. Zachary, had on her early life and development.
Each of the panelists took time to address their areas of expertise. In working to provide many health and wellness programs to the community, Whitney-West brought up the idea of servant leadership, of putting your team and the communities you serve first.
This was a moment when McKnight Ahad helped illustrate just how Whitney-West embodies this model of leadership, citing how she leveraged her power to transform the intersection of Plymouth and Penn avenues in North Minneapolis by providing a space for Black-owned businesses to grow and thrive.
For her part, McKnight Ahad, who does similar work by providing incubator space to Black entrepreneurs, talked about the importance of economic empowerment, of “fostering generational wealth” in Black households.”
“We must inspire hope. Normalize ourselves. And invest in our dreams and aspirations,” she said.
One of the funnier moments during the afternoon, of which there were many, came when Alvarez mentioned that her mother (Williams-Dillard) was “the best role model a daughter could ever have.” Without missing a beat, Williams-Dillard chimed in from her moderator chair, “I didn’t pay her to say that,” eliciting a robust laugh from the audience.
It was also Alvarez who hit the most solemn note of the day when she talked about her work with children in the public schools. “Our babies are hurting,” she said tearfully, adding that far too often these kids are “not respected, seen, valued or heard.”
Alvarez, at age 33 and with two children of her own, went back to college to earn her degree. She explained that she strives to inspire the children she works with by simply “showing up, speaking the language that they understand, and empowering them to be themselves.
“Be you,” she tells them. “I don’t expect you to be anyone else.”
During the Q & A session, when answering how she assesses her self-worth, Alvarez observed that was easy. “I’m able to see my worth by spending time in spaces with sisters like these,” she stated while nodding to all women and girls in attendance.
Acknowledging the critical and continuing impact of the women on stage, Williams-Dillard closed the discussion by reminding everyone, “When you’re in a position to make a difference, make that difference!”
Join Sister Spokesman on Saturday, April 6, 2024, as the gathering returns to NorthPoint Health & Wellness (1256 Penn Avenue North, Suite 5100) for “Seed, Plant & Harvest.” As always, Sister Spokesman runs from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Visit @SisterSpokesman on Facebook for more details and the latest updates.
See a photo gallery of the event below. All photos by Chris Juhn.
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