Creating conversation

Liberty’s Center4ME held a networking event March 25 called ‘Black Girls Create’ that provided women of color an opportunity for discussion

The Dinner Table, a five-part documentary series intended to redefine the narrative for women of color in the media, hosted a networking event entitled “Black Girls Create” (BGC) Saturday, March 25 at the Center For Multicultural Enrichment (Center4ME) in the Montview Student Union.

The cocktail-attire event hosted more than 30 women and men of color from sponsors to local college students and women of the Lynchburg community.

“I wanted to make the students here feel … inspired, empowered, creative, and understand that we are dimensional,” Feyth Scott, Liberty student and The Dinner Table Doc intern for marketing and hosting events said. “My vision for the event was to bring the Dinner Table Documentary to Lynchburg and also celebrate Lynchburg as an arts community and celebrate the creative women of Lynchburg through visual art and small businesses.”

According to AmericanProgress.org, the number of African American women-owned businesses in 2013 was estimated at 1.1 million, comprising 42 percent of businesses owned by women of color and 49 percent of all African American-owned businesses.

Black Girls Create focused on providing an opportunity for women of color to have a candid conversation concerning personal struggles while networking, all in hopes of creating life-long connections.

“It is hard in some places, especially Lynchburg, to embrace your culture or not to be put in this small box not only as women, but black women,” Scott said. “These conversations show that we are not alone, and as unique as we are as individuals, our experiences can be the same and somewhat different. Sisterhood and community are important to have, especially when the media is against you.”

The event started with an hour of thought-provoking questions geared toward black women and their struggles and mishaps such as, “When did you realize it was okay to be black?” and “When did you realize it was okay to be black and successful?”

“Every Dinner Table Doc event has a different theme, but the goal is still the same — to give women of color a safe space to share their truths and experiences,” Scott said. “We are having a seat at the table to bring new ideas and experiences to help someone else. It is passing the baton or reigniting the spark within one another.”

Eight organizations served as sponsors for the event such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, who provided lunch and items for the gift bags, The Listening Inc., which provided music from singer and songwriter Peter Collins from Spencer’s Vanguard, The Dinner Table Doc and Center4ME who provided the event space.

Melany Pearl, executive director for the Center4ME who provided the event space and attended the event, stressed the importance of advocacy and how this event provided an outlet for women of color to advocate for one another in unity.

“On our campus women of color in faculty and administration are few and far between,” Pearl said. “This was an event that brought women of color from Lynchburg and Roanoke together to pour into our students. It is my hope that the encouragement, support and validation shared during the event would be life changing.”

The event ended with guest speaker Leslie King. King, who is a senior associate with Everyday Democracy and Many Voices, One Community, shared her experiences and what struggles she had to endure growing up in the city of Lynchburg as a black woman.

King’s message focused on encouraging women of color to always look for opportunities while empowering them to chase their passions.

Students can stay connected with The Dinner Table Documentary on Facebook at The Dinner Table Documentary and on Instagram and Twitter @dinnertabledoc. For more information or to participate in events that celebrate cultural diversity, visit the Center4ME located in the Montview Student Union or contact (434)-592-4020.

Williams is a news reporter.