Black women have historically led community change and pushed the American policy agenda towards greater equality for African Americans and other people of color. From nationally renowned leaders like Shirley Chisolm and Vice President Kamala Harris to local community change-makers, Black women consistently work to forge pathways for their communities to enjoy protected rights and greater achievement access. The Sojourner Truth Legacy Project recognizes women leaders making a positive difference in the lives of the communities they serve in the spirit of Sojourner Truth’s courageous and visionary drive for freedom, justice, and equality.
This March, during Women’s History Month, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation is hosting the annual Sojourner Truth Legacy Project summit focusing on voting rights and women in leadership roles. The summit provides two sessions, each focusing on areas where women advance the battle for equity.
During the first session, we will hear from CBC women leading the fight to protect voting rights to ensure that all Americans, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, have the right to exercise the core democratic duty to cast a vote that counts. In this session, CBC women will engage in policy discourse where attendees can expand their paradigms on the voting rights advocacy work taking place on the Hill and understand what their legislators are doing to preserve just democratic processes.
During the second session, we will hear from Black women leaders in mayoral and C-suite roles to get an inside look at how they traversed barriers to company leadership and gained seats at executive tables. From leadership roles in municipal offices across the nation to C-suites of Fortune 500 companies, this panel will delve into the narratives of each panelist and how Black women leaders in these spaces navigate being forerunners in their respective fields despite generations of underrepresentation. Finally, this session celebrates these women by highlighting their stories and discussing how their leadership capacity influences national trends and inspires other women to lead.
Join us this month for the Sojourner Truth Legacy Project Virtual Summit. This event will be an excellent opportunity for women of all generations and backgrounds to gather, listen, learn, and engage with leaders shaping policy discourse at national, local, and corporate levels. Women are the catalytic force behind lasting community change, join the movement and participate in this pivotal conversation! We look forward to seeing you there.