Four dozen plus local trailblazers, hundreds of students, and Eleanor Holmes Norton all gather in an auditorium. . . .

This may sound like the beginning of a cheesy joke, but the 4th annual Sisterhood Summit at Girls’ Global Academy couldn’t have been more moving. This year’s summit was themed, “Our Stories, Our Legacies: Together, We Blaze Trails, Ignite Change, & Build Futures.” From the early morning and throughout the early afternoon, the summit captivated all who attended and participated. Read on for a glimpse into this powerful annual event!

Keynote 1

The day’s programming began with an inspiring keynote speech by TeeJ Mercer. Mercer shared about her career in television and what’s kept her motivated as someone deeply committed to motivating others. She outlined some of her keys to career and life success — her “ABCs of Audacity” — and answered questions from students, including “How do you keep going as a woman of color?” Mercer’s positive energy and inspiring story electrified the already eager student audience and laid a strong foundation for even more powerful dialogue to come.

Keynote 2

Unbeknownst to students and summit attendees, Eleanor Holmes Norton delivered a second keynote speech for this year’s summit. While brief, her words chronicled some of her storied, trailblazing life and career in D.C. After her remarks, all of the trailblazers gathered on stage to take a picture with Norton. 

Panels

Vanessa Williams, program manager for D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice, participated in the Education and Social Change panel with Drs. Shannon R. Waite and Kathryn Wiley, both professors at Howard University, and Ziyanda S. Mtshontshi with the Ubuntu Inclusive Centre. The panel questions focused on personal stories, legacies that panelists hoped to leave, and questions students had about justice in education. They were asked about particular moments that radicalized and heartened them in their education justice work, how their work leads to a more just world, and what inspires them to continue engaging in this type of work. 

Career Fair

After the rounds of panels, trailblazers and local organizations set up tables to share about their work and ways students can get involved in their causes. DCAESJ gave students some of our recommended banned books and encouraged them to take photos with our Read Banned Books photo frame. We also shared about ways to incorporate #TeachTruth and similar critical education campaigns sponsored by Teaching for Change and the Zinn Education Project. Students also inquired about summer internships with us. 

Check out the summit’s website. Read about Teach the Beat visits at Girls’ Global Academy and about their Intergenerational Service Learning Day.