Celebrating the contributions of our predecessors is an amazing way to remember where our community came from.  Leading young people to advance on what our society has already built by inspiring them to be a part of their communities is the next step in cultivating an environment of growth. The annual Black Women Lead Summit held at University of Denver was more than successful in both these aspects.
On February 2nd, highschool girls from all around Colorado gathered with the intention of learning different ways to create a culture of acceptance and growth within their communities.
The purpose of this conference is to promote leadership, academic achievement, and community involvement while empowering young black women to lead others. Members of Sisterhood at Eaglecrest got to attend this program and hope to institute what they learned at DU.

Amani Pearson learned about the importance of bringing together communities of different races in order to value inclusion.
¨You can’t judge a person based on what they look like if you want to better our society. We should fight to see different cultures and communities come together because that is when we see growth and advancements,” replied Pearson.

This conference not only taught students about how to bring their community together, but also how to address race-related issues within their community. When encountering situations where there is a racial stigma the most effective way to encourage change is through education and to approach the situation with elegance.
“I wanted the students to have an opportunity to have an open and honest discussion with not only women of color, but with women of color who are successful and have a platform and who are really doing things to be active for that platform.”

Being a black woman in a society where you have been undermined your entire life is difficult, but teaching young women to be comfortable in their skin and to be graceful in nature is creating a foundation for an entire generation.

Mary Merid says, “Just being able to be with a ton of black women is empowering. Just seeing these black women who are poets and college graduates was really moving and just motivational.”

Many people still don’t understand the importance of representation for young people.
Representation isn’t just about having diversity. It’s about showing an entire generation of young people that what they can do matters, that who they are and what they look like doesn’t make them less insignificant, and that their voice matters.

This feeds into a larger issue. Black women have been misrepresented in the media continuously. From their hair to their attitude, they have been constantly robbed of their differences to play a role that doesn’t represent them.
Our society refuses to recognize the depth that different people have. This lack of depth has created a false rhetoric surrounding black women in social climates, political climates, and the general perception of black women.

Ashlyn Turmenne believes,“Representation is important because this country was built on black people and it’s tiring to see the same people speaking on behalf of all people even if they can’t speak on that person’s experiences. Everyone should be included.” This conference showed young students that there is so much beauty in who they are. It shows black women that, in spite of the negativity, their voice and differences matter. That they are powerful people regardless of what the world tells us.