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Member Spotlight: Sheila E. Lewis
Having stepped out of corporate America and created my own path with my two companies for the past 25 years afforded me the chance to look at things very differently. And my sense about being a Black female business owner changed when I had a company where I had employees.
Member Spotlight: Yvonne Williams-Castellanos
Every day Black women are asked to exploit ourselves for the benefit of others—to make slaves of ourselves and completely deny ourselves for the benefit of other people. And BlackFemaleProject firmly rejects this notion and says, “No, we’re not going to do that. We are going to uplift ourselves and affirm ourselves and our humanity for our own happiness and joy.”
Member Spotlight: Sandra Varner
I think the mission is reflective of who we are as Black women in the work space and every other space that we occupy. It’s central to our identity, our work, and our collective mission of being supportive of each other while fostering positive, uplifting, beneficial environments where we all thrive.
Member Spotlight: Ellie Tumbuan
There’s the reality of justice—that Black women deserve that. It’s also about understanding that, when Black women win, everybody wins. Period. Because of the known and unknown histories of what Black women have gone through in the workplace, the healing, the recognition, and the valuing of Black women need to not just be reconciled but prioritized.
The Bar for excellence WITH PRECIOUS J. STROUD
Growing up in the Bay Area, I was not viscerally aware of my experience as a minority. My parents, like many other Black folks, made sure of this. When I was growing up there were Black people everywhere from what I could tell. My parents patronized Black-owned businesses throughout Oakland and Berkeley.
February 2024 Wellness Resources
Questions of sameness and difference are so often oversimplified. We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that, as Black women, we inevitably share perspectives and inclinations.
Keeping the Vision Alive — Reflections from the New Year Visioning Workshop
Staying Connected: Winter 2024
2024 marks a major milestone for BlackFemaleProject: 10 years of service to Black women! We’re grateful to you, our community. We do this work because of you. To kick off this special year, we offer a new version of our Staying Connected newsletter. This edition highlights accomplishments from 2023, personal reflections from our team, and a peek into plans for 2024.
A Decade of Healing through Storytelling in Community:
I have been reminiscing about our origin story—how and why I founded BlackFemaleProject. As a young professional, I made an exhausting effort to dampen and quiet my spirit. I thought that in order to be employable, promotable, and non-threatening at work, I had to comply with the status quo.
January 2024 Wellness Resources
Checkout the wellness resources we’ve found for a more connected and balanced January.
Questions of sameness and difference are so often oversimplified. We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that, as Black women, we inevitably share perspectives and inclinations.
December 2023 Wellness E-Blast
When you create the space to imagine beyond the day-to-day grind and the need to simply keep up, what possibilities can you dream up for your life? This month's Wellness Calendar resources invite you to tap into the expansiveness of your imagination.
December 2023 Wellness Resources
As the season of coming together, acting generously, and expressing gratitude continues, we’re feeling especially grateful for the Black women who came before us—the women whose stories continue to serve as lamp posts as we navigate our own journeys.
November 2023 Wellness Resources
Whatever space we step into, Black women bring our unique and innovative flair along with us. We’re known for crafting creative solutions and figuring out how to call in abundance when resources seem limited.
Teacher Truth Perspectives — Reflections From the Research Team
Teacher Truth Perspectives - Educator Reflections
Teacher Truth Perspectives - Educator ReflectIONS
Teacher Truth Perspectives - Educator Reflections
POST EVENT REFLECTION: From Greens To Blackeyed Peas — A Black Food Justice Story
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!
October 2023 Wellness Resources
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.
September 2023 Wellness Resources
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.