By: Jheri Worldwide, Staff Writer
The All Girls Matter EmpowHERment Conference can only be described with one word, energy. We began the day dancing and continued to celebrate as we learned and built together throughout the day. America’s Big Sisters Foundation seeks to empower, encourage, educate, and enlighten young women to become independent, self-sufficient, goal-oriented, positive, individuals who can excel in society by breaking cycles of lack through empowerment programs. As of 2024, The All Girls Matter EmpowHERment Conference program has been facilitated in 15 states!
The Montgomery, Alabama conference leaders included founder and visionary Dr. Tragil Wade-Johnson, mistress of ceremonies Erica Sidney a proud graduate of Alabama State University, and City Lead Lenora Price. This exceptional group of inspiring women truly delivered and elevated everyone in the room.
America’s Big Sisters hosted the conference on the campus of Alabama State University. We began with a presentation from Melissa Stallworth from ASU admissions discussing the academic programs and career development opportunities. The Dancing Beats of Montgomery were next with an explosive performance raising the energy even higher.
Our keynote came from Dr. Wade-Johnson coach, philanthropist, author, speaker, consultant, and community leader. Dr. Tragil delivered a powerful message about growing up unhoused in Chicago, Illinois after her mother’s incarceration. She shared her story in a powerful way through the young ladies in the crowd. She asked a 12-year-old to raise her hand and shared that at 12 her mother went to prison and she became responsible for her brother Dwayne Wade. She asked for a 16-year-old to raise their hand, Dr. Tragil shared that at 16 she dealt with sex trafficking. “Life is going life but I developed a belief system,” Dr. Wade-Johnson emphasized how she leveraged her belief in a higher power to build confidence, resilience, adaptability, and the ability to be empathetic toward others.
After a few breakout sessions for parents and several small groups for the participants, we all came back together for more dancing, prizes, and a career panel discussion. Important topics were addressed and candid conversations took place as the young girls asked questions and sought a better understanding of what work-life balance really looks like.
Event sponsors included Introverts Heart and Alabama State University. Community vendors were C&C Ice Box Jewelry, All Things Positive, Sereniti Jewels, Mella Creations LLC and many others.
My biggest takeaway was the reminder of the transformative power of community. The girls, the parents, and the facilitators were all able to gain insights and reminders that when we serve our community the impact is bigger than us. We are stronger together and we are not alone. The leadership hopes to bring the conference to North Carolina in the fall of 2025. If you’re interested in participating please reach out to [email protected].
