By Jheri Hardaway
Staff Writer
Lillington, NC — On October 22, the Leading Ladies of Harnett County celebrated a milestone fifth anniversary. Leading Ladies of Harnett County, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was born out of a vital need to bring women of color from all walks of life together for the greater good of the Harnett County community.
The vision began taking shape in May of 2021 when founder Pamela Williams approached co-founder Frances McNeill with an idea she had been developing since March 2021. Williams asked McNeill to join forces to create an organization dedicated to empowering women of color across Harnett County. McNeill enthusiastically agreed, laying the initial foundation. It was McNeill who suggested the name "Leading Ladies of Harnett County," and it stuck immediately.
“At the time, let me tell y'all, we had no idea how we were going to do it, but we knew what we wanted to do,” Francis recalled during the anniversary gathering, describing the spark that ignited the organization. “God didn't give us the final product; He gave us just a portion of it. My vision was huge, hers was enormous, and when we came together, it catapulted into five years of what we have today.”
Brainstorming sessions continued through the summer of 2021, culminating in the official founding conception on October 22, 2021, at Cornerstone Cafe and Coffee in Coats, NC. Shortly after, on Saturday, November 13, 2021, the founders hosted a Meet and Greet Brunch at DeBorah's Restaurant in Dunn, NC. The inaugural attendees—Frances McNeill, Pamela Williams, Barbara Abney, Darlette McCormick, Kittrane Sanders, Tiffany McNeill, Dr. Della Newkirk, Anitra Hart, Tasha McDowell, Ann Fairley, Sharon Baker, and Dr. Consuela Blaizes—were presented with the group's purpose and founding principles.
From those humble beginnings, a powerful coalition of women of color has come together in harmony, leveraging their talents and resources to learn, grow, and serve. Holistically, the organization strives to enact goodwill through impactful service projects across Harnett County.
The organization held its first official meeting on January 8, 2022, at the Harnett County Cooperative Extension Center. It achieved official recognition as a corporation from the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State on March 10, 2022, and subsequently received its tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status on June 7, 2022.
The founding charter class comprised a distinguished group of leaders: Frances McNeill, Pamela Williams, Darlette McCormick, Kittrane Sanders, Tiffany McNeill, Dr. Della Newkirk, Anitra Hart, Sharon Baker, Sandra Abney, Sharon Gainey, Lakela McLean, Chondrika McKoy, Nekecha McKoy, Brittany Jones, Monique Tuset, April Gaulden, Pastor Dr. Shelia McKoy, Rev. Hanna Broome, Jeannie Hicks, Yolanda Geddie, Tasha McKoy, Barbara Abney, C. Christina Surles, and Bonita Guy.
Driven by a mission to empower women to assume leadership roles in their communities, the organization provides a unified platform where women support one another in achieving excellence in their respective callings. By actively challenging negative stereotypes surrounding women of color, the Leading Ladies of Harnett County envision a world where women provoke positive change and foster lasting impact. “One of our models is to dispel the myth that Black women can’t get along,” the founders emphasized. “We’re going to knock that out of the park, because that myth only exists to keep us divided, weak, and separated. There cannot be competition among us, because we’re fighting the exact same fight. Yours may not look like mine; it may not sound like mine, but we are the architects in our homes, on our jobs, getting it done.”
As their motto proudly proclaims: "Unity... breaking the myths and setting the stage." Now under the leadership of President Lakela Bell-McLean, the organization continues to flourish. President Bell-McLean shared exclusively with The Carolinian that, “Harnett County has a lot of moving pieces right now. But if we continue to support those that are putting themselves out there, there's no limit to what we can do as Black women. That's right. I love it. Thank you, ladies.”
