Community service has always been at the forefront of my mission to empower young women and men. I have always truly believed that, like so many of us, I have been able to grow as an individual by placing myself in the midst of community and helping others, even when I didn’t necessarily see a way for myself. So when I received an invitation to attend the PowHERful Foundation‘s Annual Gala “Transforming Lives. Creating Leaders,” hosted by Tamron Hall, I knew that I needed to be there.
On Thursday, June 13, 2019, at Tribeca Rooftop, we celebrated the life and impact of Soledad O’Brien’s parents who passed within 40 days of each other earlier this year. They were the inspiration and driving force behind the foundation. Y’all, the event was beautiful but I felt SO unprepared! It was raining heavy, so my outfit got wet, my hair got wet, and my makeup was running. However, I know from personal experience that sometimes you won’t always be fully prepared for what life has to offer — but you have to show up to receive the blessing.
The annual fundraising gala highlighted the supporters, allies, and advocates of the foundation. I had the amazing opportunity to speak with both Tamron Hall, an American broadcast journalist and television host, as well as Soledad O’Brien, founder of the organization and broadcast journalist.
Hall told TheBlondeMisfit, “I hope that with the next generation, what I want to instill in the young beautiful women who follow me is that although we are black girl magic, magic means that you work hard.”
“Sometimes people interpret magic that it just comes out of nowhere, and that’s the farthest from the truth. Put in the work, make the sacrifices. Move away from home to make your dreams come true.”
Of course, many of us have believed this to be magical because of the fact we’ve been excused from the table for so long. I know that for me, starting and curating TheBlondeMisfit was an act of love long before it ever made a profit or saw any monetary gain. This shouldn’t sway you from pursuing your dreams, because you truly have power.
“What I think the lesson is while you may have been kept off the table, you have the power to make a table, set a table, and invite other people. Just because someone kept you out doesn’t mean you should keep others out.”
“Find someone you admire and shoot your shot,” she continued. “Find a mentor as you pursue the next job, find someone who inspires you. I would not be where I am if people had not rooted for me and offered their resources. Look at people who you admire, and write them a note. Hop in someone’s DM, tell them you admire them. Be fearless in pursuing people for help.”
Of course, this whole concept of putting action behind the “magic” is the impetus behind the PowHerFul Foundation, which aims to bridge the gap between education and resources. “We started PowHerFul after Hurricane Katrina, especially as a result of the anger and frustration we felt,” said O’Brien. “People needed help, but really people were not getting enough help to fix problems. We saw the same in e]education costs and how much people really needed to get through school. Since my parents were educators, I wanted to tap into education and teach people that we were committed to furthering education.”
O’Brien has admitted that although money is important, the ideas of mentorship and community truly govern her work and what she hopes to bring to the world. “When we started, I thought cash would be the moving part. And yes, the money is important, but if you don’t have mentors, you won’t make it. Intentional mentorship is essential.” Like Hall, O’Brien stressed the importance of building a community and roster of people who love and support you. But most importantly, that the work is never about you. The work you do is about empowering others to believe they can do it as well.
“I want people to feel like whatever they want to do is doable. And if they want to be impactful, that they can start anywhere. I don’t want a legacy, I want to show people that their ideas are doable. A lot of our young women just need someone who can help them.”
