At her powerful and personal event, My Black Food Justice Story, our friend, Ms. Phyllis Bowie, guided us through the story of her food journey, from greens to black-eyed peas!

One of the most fulfilling aspects of working with BlackFemaleProject is the ways our work culture embodies the values we emphasize through our programming and communications. We know that the best way to inspire the women in our network to believe in a different kind of work life is to model it ourselves.

All people deserve to have relationships, networks, and workplace environments where they feel comfortable being themselves. For Black women in particular, the importance of identifying spaces where we can show up and add value without dimming or contorting ourselves is vital. As we’re rarely granted the grace to be our full, glorious selves without consequence, BlackFemaleProject curates the spaces we need, and we invite other women to join us in finding refuge.

I believe in BlackFemaleProject because I have a Black daughter, and Black women are held to a completely different standard as soon as they walk into the room.

I believe in the mission because I am a Black professional woman with my own unique experience. I know we need more spaces in this world that do just this. I believe in the mission because of the Black women that I know who have called in what they need in terms of either support or awareness.

There seems to always be an abundance of messages coming at us in terms of how we should show up in the world. In this context, where there are perceived rewards for adhering to social expectations and norms, it takes intentional effort to operate from our own centers.

My industry is philanthropy, and my expertise is youth development and cultural arts. I’m a program director at East Bay Community Foundation, where I lead our strategy around racial justice and equity, centering cultural arts. 

Vaneese Johnson, The Boldness Coach™, is a certified executive coach, brand strategist, and award-winning small business consultant with more than 25 years of experience.