On Sept. 27, at the Omni William Penn Hotel the Third Annual Equity Summit & Award Reception was presented by Gwen’s Girls and The Black Girls Equity Alliance. Guests enjoyed an after five reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine & spirits, gourmet desserts and music by the River City Brass Band. The theme of the two day event was, “The Village in Action to Advance Equity for Black Girls.”
For three years Gwen’s Girls has held an evening reception where community leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of women and girls in the Pittsburgh region are honored. The following day is a day of learning via a series of breakout sessions and panel discussions. This year attendees attended sessions on “Loving Black Girls Unconditionally,” “Let Her Learn: How to Combat Race and Gender,” and the luncheon, “When, Where and Why we Enter: Educational Equity and Advancement for Black Girls” with Monique W. Morris as the keynote speaker. Dr. Morris is a Social Justice Scholar and author of “Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools.”
Dr. Morris was a surprise honoree on Sept. 27 along with the Gwen’s Girls 2018 honorees: Marc Cherna (DHS, CYF), Walter Smith (DHS, CYF), Adrienne Smith (DHS, CYF), Sylvia Fields (Eden Hall Foundation), Kim Patterson (Gwen’s Girls Volunteer), Kathy Humphrey (University of Pittsburgh), Carol Neyland (Dollar Bank) and Michael Yonas (Pittsburgh Foundation). With past Gwen’s Girls board member, Orlana Darkins Drewery, as mistress of ceremony, beautiful awards were presented by Gwen’s Girls Executive Director Dr. Kathi Elliott.
The mission of Gwen’s Girls is to empower girls and young women to have productive lives through holistic, gender-specific programs, education and experiences. Their vision is one of girls becoming self-sufficient adults, equipped with the capacity to continuously evolve emotionally, physically and spiritually; building strong family units; developing a strong support system; and contributing to community life. Gwen’s Girls was the vision of the late Gwen Elliott.
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