- Amaya Smith
- A’shanti Gholar
- Carla Gaskins-Nathan
- Dawnique Daughtry
- Demetria Gallagher
- Emma Christman
- Jamie Richards
- Janice L. Mathis
- Karen Finney
- Kimberly Selden
- Latoia Jones
- LaDavia Drane
- Leah D. Daughtry
- Melanie Campbell
- Minyon Moore
- Nakisha Lewis
- Sharon Daughtry
- Shavon Arline Bradley
- Star Jones
- Tina Edwards Akintayo
- Traci Blackmon
- Yolanda Caraway
- Zakiya Johnson Lord
About Us
We are an intergenerational power force of Black women from various sectors.
We are business women, politicians, union members, authors. We are cis and
transgender, we are LGBTQ, we are mothers, aunties and we are immigrants. We
are from various backgrounds and share different views, we are Black women—
power speaking truth. We are Power Rising.
MISSION
The Power Rising Summit provides a space for Black women, from coast to coast, to come
together as one. We will leverage our collective wisdom to develop strategic, actionable
ways to build and maximize our economic and political power—for the betterment of
ourselves, our families, our communities, and our future.
PURPOSE
At critical moments in history, Black women have always found a way to come together, define a new
path forward, and make an impact in ways that change the world. However, not since the Combahee
RiverCollective statement was written 40 years ago have we assembled with the purpose of crafting an
agenda explicitly for Black women that recognizes our unique needs.
Black women are making strides in every sector, from policy to politics, from the classroom to
the boardroom, in front of the camera and behind the scenes. And yet, there is more to do to ensure equity,
opportunity, and representation for ourselves and our communities.
It is in the tradition of the women who have gone before us – our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, and
aunties – and in the interest of those who will follow our path – our daughters, our sisters, and our nieces
— that we come together again. This pivotal and urgent moment of political and social unrest calls us forward
to unite Black women across ethnicity, religion, sexuality, age, political affiliation, socioeconomic status, and
gender experience.
The Power Rising Summit will provide a space for Black women to turn power into action and create an
actionable agenda to be implemented in their communities and nationally that leverages our social, political,
professional, cultural and economic power and influence for the betterment of ourselves, our communities
and our country.
The Summit will be organized around five key pillars of activism and engagement: Business & Economic
Empowerment; Culture, Community, and Society; Education, Technology, and Innovation; Health & Wellness;
and Political Empowerment.
We gather for ourselves, for our families, for our communities, and for our future, and we commit, to once
again, put in the work necessary to create change now and for generations to come.
Power Rising 2019 Planning Committee:
