The Beauty of Women, Strength, and the Village

Women make history daily, but March is the month when our accomplishments, discoveries, and contributions are celebrated. In the third decade of the 21st century, women are striving and thriving to reach new heights and receive the accolades that were once only dreams.

For some, like Vice President Kamala Harris, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown, Rep. Maxine Waters, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and many others, dreams took them to Washington, DC and the halls of power. For others, like Whoopi Goldberg, Viola Davis, and Angela Bassett, Broadway and Hollywood have called upon them to make us laugh and cry while telling our stories.

Many of our dreams have been formed by the strength, tenacity, and sacrifice of others—those who came before us. These women are the trailblazers who lay paths for the rest of us to follow and give us the inspiration and courage to forge our own paths. Without Oprah Winfrey, there’d be no Tamron Hall. Without Josephine Baker, there’d be no Beyoncé. Without Althea Gibson, there’d be neither Venus nor Serena. Sure, these people would still exist, but they likely would not have become the celebrated icons they are today.

There are countless other Black women whose names are unfamiliar to us, but whose labors and accomplishments are no less important or impressive. These are the teachers, doctors, lawyers, inventors, writers, griots, and chefs who add knowledge, health, justice, technology, history, and flavor to our everyday lives. And of course, we mustn’t forget our mothers, aunts, cousins, and sisters.

I was blessed to be born into a family of accomplished women. My mother has worked in media for most of my life; first in children’s educational television, then later in radio and journalism. I have aunts that run the gamut from a beauty queen to a poet, and a talk show host and artist. One cousin founded a line of Black greeting cards and another forged the path for three generations to attend Howard University. I’ve seen the example set of women who have labored to have 50-year marriages, and the courage of women who struck out on their own when their marriages were no longer the best situation for themselves and their children.

In 2023, women are showing the strength, beauty, education, and love needed to advance ourselves and future generations. I ask that we also show ourselves and others grace as we navigate uncharted waters and seek new and exciting adventures in business, sports, government, education, motherhood, and every other field that has been opened and made available for us to strive, thrive, and succeed.

Thank you to my mother, aunts, cousins, nieces, sisters, friends, and every other woman who is working every day to make her own history and create a more beautiful, peaceful, and loving world for everyone. It takes a village… and every one of us is needed.

Welcome Back to School RCCS!

On August 28, Roseville Community Charter School opened its doors to welcome parents and scholars to visit their new classrooms...

East Orange “Back-to-School Welcome Walk”

Mayor Ted R. Green, the East Orange City Council, and staff from various municipal departments participated in the city’s annual...

Berkeley College Announces Opportunity Grant

Qualified New Jersey residents can enroll in a fulltime Associate’s degree program without incurring any loans for tuition and fees...

Roseville Community Charter School Honored

Roseville Community Charter School was honored to welcome as a special guest, Dr. Christopher Irving, NJ Department of Education Assistant...

MSU Chancellor Dr. Marcheta P. Evans: The Merger

Bloomfield College and Montclair State University Become OneCulturemusic By Glenda Cadogan When it came time to navigate and negotiate the...

The U.S. Supreme Court and Affirmative Action

Johnny E. Parham, Jr. began his career as a community organizer with the Urban League of Essex County. Other Urban...

Keeping Our Communities Safe From Fentanyl

Public safety is our administration’s top priority, and keeping New Yorkers safe from the growing...

A Lament for Peace in the Middle East

Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson is Senior Pastor Grace Baptist Church, Mt. Vernon, NY Our...

Why Newark?

It’s the question business owners once asked when they considered relocating to the city of...

Lakeland Bank Partners with Small Business Pro University

Lakeland Bank has announced that it will serve as the Title Sponsor for the 30th...

The U.S. Supreme Court and Affirmative Action

Johnny E. Parham, Jr. began his career as a community organizer with the Urban League...

Saving Our Own Community: About Our Future!

We are one from the very start/We are one deep down in your heart We...

MAAFA…A Healing Journey

Teaching African History to Children St. Paul Community Baptist Church (SPCBC) in Brooklyn geared up in September for the return...
Read More

Black Art Collectors Roger Tucker

By Wanda Croudy For Roger Tucker, a graduate of Arts High School in Newark where he studied commercial design, art...
Read More

Governor’s Conference on Housing and Economic Development 2023

The preeminent industry event for affordable housing and economic development professionals in New Jersey took place Thursday, September 28 and Friday, September 29. Held at the Waterfront Conference Center at...
Read More

Green Giant

Sonja D. Gracy, author, playwright, and NYC public school teacher is currently working on her next book God and the...
Read More

Newark Keeps Changing and Growing

The Last Word BY R.L. Witter We’ve been doing our annual Newark issue for several years now. And ever year...
Read More

Mt. Zion Baptist: 100th Church Anniversary

Mount Zion Baptist Church of South Hackensack, NJ celebrated its monumental 100th church anniversary on Saturday, July 22, 2023 at...
Read More

Juneteenth Celebration in Irvington

Hundreds of guests and neighbors gathered in Irvington for a celebration of freedom, commemorating Juneteenth. President of the People’s Organization...
Read More

Line Dancing Returns to Newark Symphony Hall’s Terrace Ballroom

Every second Friday hundreds gather at The Terrace Ballroom in Newark Symphony Hall (NSH) for a fun night of soul...
Read More

Bergen County Links, Inc. Celebrate 49 Years of Service

The Bergen County (NJ) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated recently held its sold-out 15th Annual Mother’s Day Luncheon at The...
Read More

They are Fit to be First Responders

By Barry Carter In a spirited competition among first responders, Newark and Essex County police...

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

By Leslie Nash The latest version of the COVID-19 vaccine is now available and the...

Grand Opening: Understand Medicare Now

Tuesday, August 29,2023, was a great day in Harlem for Michael Walker. The dream he...

Black Health Matters HARLEM WEEK Health Summit and Expo

Whether in-person or via live stream, participants at the Black Health Matters (BHM) HARLEM WEEK...