Who We Are
We are a community of Black women united in the belief that work spaces must value equity and inclusion. We use new media to connect our community; support our individual and collective health and wellbeing; expand our critical consciousness; center our stories; and build our power.
Connecting
Our Community
In this community, we “have decided to love.” As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, “love is the key that unlocks the door which lead to ultimate reality.” If we want to deconstruct the systems that support racism and white supremacy in our organizations, then we must put love at the center of all we do. “If you have love,” bell hooks once said, “you have the community of belonging that comes with it.”
Supporting
Our Wellbeing
As Audre Lorde once said, “caring for [oneself] is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” We create spaces for Black women to practice grounding techniques and support each other in this wellness journey.
Lifting
Our Stories
Every day, in organizations and businesses big and small, Black women are confronted by a tsunami of micoagressions. By sharing our individual stories with one another, we help to unlock the vault that holds the solutions to our collective challenges. There’s nothing new under the sun. Your story of triumph will help others. And someone else’s story of triumph will help you.
Raising
Our Critical Consciousness
BWAW is a place where Black women engage in consciousness-raising dialogue and dissenting opinions without breaking apart. We are a community of learners who seek to better understand ourselves and develop solutions to the challenges of the day (be it at work, at home, or in society at large) by raising our critical conciousness. bell hooks tells us that “thinking critically is at the heart of anybody transforming their life.” She goes on to say that “critical thinking is about having the language and frames of reference to examine one’s life in depth, as well as the world around us…”
Building
Our Power
Our power is not just a thing of the past. It is the very pulse of the moment. Our power lives in the present and shapes our future. As Black women we know that connecting our community, prioritizing our wellness, lifting our stories, and raising our consciousness is an act of political expression. Yet, it is in this knowlege and the pursuit thereof that we must continue to be steadfast. We are in a moment of inflection and real change. While we are not a monolthic community but we speak with a unified voice. We will work to put equity and inclusion at the center of all we do.