In honor of Women’s History Month, Leon County employees, students and Tallahassee residents gathered at The Moon Thursday for the inaugural Black Women and the Fight for Equality event.
“As a Black woman you must strategically play the hand that is dealt to you. We have the most power in this world and we must use it in the right way,” said Shawnta Friday-Stroud, dean of Florida A&M University’s School of Business & Industry and one of the events’s panelists.
The event consisted of panelists Dr. Temple Robinson, Christic Henry, Friday-Stroud and Tamara Bertrand Jones. They spoke on topics such as inter-sexuality, health care, community and education. There was food, drinks and music.
Throughout American history Black women have been known as the supporters, so the question is how can the community support them?
Black women face disadvantages due to their race and gender, and these same problems persist today. The panelists highlighted how Black women do not get the same privileges as white women and often cannot get their foot in doors like their white counterparts. The panelists’ goal was to put the audience in someone else’s shoes and help them understand the experiences of the Black woman.
“Every Black woman is not the same. We did not all grow up the same and that is what makes us so dynamic. When you meet one Black woman the next Black woman you meet will be different,” Henry said.
The event also included table talks among audience members. Questions were put on individual tables that sparked conversation for Black and white women. It provided a space where community members could find a way to work together. Questions such as, if Black women had the opportunity to be equal with white women in society, what would that look like?
There was also a discussion between the different generations and how society has changed over time. The younger generation are advocates for breaking the cycle of Black women being underrepresented.
“The event was fantastic; I think we spoke about a lot of important topics. I want young Black women to overcome the fear of speaking on difficult topics,” Robinson, chief medical officer at Bond Medical Center, said.
“The event was very inspiring. Just being around Black women, I really enjoyed the space. I had the chance to network and hear other perspectives,” FAMU graduate student Ria Brooks said.