Growing up, I had a front row seat in my grandmother’s dry cleaners on what Sisterhood looked like and how the power of Sisterhood supported and uplifted the women in the community. You see, today many women use the word “Sister,” but many lack the true meaning and spirit of what it means to be in a Sisterhood. With my grandmother and the women in the community, it was an unwritten rule and an unspoken code that investing in each other is what they needed to not only survive, but to thrive and succeed.

I remember the first time that my grandmother sent me to Mrs. Samuel’s house to give her two eggs. My grandmother instructed me not to run but to walk, to take my time so that I would arrive with the two eggs ready for use. The next day Mrs. Samuels brought a portion of a cake to my grandmother. She also had a portion of the cake for Mrs. Richardson. That would not be the last time that I would witness the women sharing food items to take care of their families together.  

In addition to feeding their families, I also witnessed how they fed one another’s souls and spirits. They supported each other when children were in trouble with the law. They prayed for children who had fallen prey to drugs and alcohol. They praised each other’s children when they accomplished great achievements. And goodness knows they all bought more items than they wanted from each other’s kids when the schools had fundraisers.   

When crack cocaine flooded the streets of Washington, DC, I learned the lengths that African American women will go to save their children and what happens when you have more than one African American mother dedicated and committed to eradicating and removing danger from their communities. My grandmother’s cleaners became a place to plan, strategize, and a safe space for the children of parents who were addicted to crack. The women would not be deterred! 

When I answered the call to uplift and empower women almost 25 years ago, it was and continues to be because of the Sisterhood, support, success, and ultimate survival of the women I witnessed growing up. Their sisterhood has formed the foundation of the work that has been my life’s work. Sisterhood is saturated with compassion, empathy, understanding, and, most importantly, love.  

Sisterhood is what makes life worth living. I once read that the best thing a woman can do is to nurture her relationships with other women. This is why after having a girls day out or a girls trip, you feel like you can accomplish anything.  

It has been such a powerful experience to support other women in different activities like going back to school, writing their life’s story, and publishing their work in a book. I have thoroughly enjoyed supporting women to start their own businesses and build themselves up with confidence, inner fortitude, and strength. I am of the belief that when a woman is healed and whole, so is her family. Sisterhood brings out the best in us. Being able to support other women has not only brought me so much joy, it has also helped me to understand myself better. It is time for us to embrace one another in a way that we have not seen in times past. When one succeeds, we all succeed.  

How can you support the sisters in your community?