Black History TrailBlazers #9

pexels-christina-morillo-1181516

Black TrailBlazers Making History

Virginia Harris - Certified Government Auditor; Voting & Women's Rights Activist

Ep. 82 - Virginia W. Harris is born, raised, educated, and credentialed in the deepest of the deep south states: Georgia and Lousiana, having graduated with a B.S. from Albany State University, a Historically Black College/university (HBCU), and earning her MPA at Tulane University in New Orleans. Returning to Georgia, she worked her way "up the ladder", ultimately, becoming Georgia's first African American county auditor. Her mantra is Faith, Family, and Fitness; all of which informed her decades of local, state, and national leadership in the areas of civil rights, voting rights, and women's rights. She served as 9th national president of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., and Chair, Board of Trustees, Albany State University.

Read more about Virginia.

Thresette Briggs - Entrepreneur

Ep. 87 - Thresette Briggs leads her firm Performance 3 as Chief Performance Officer. Thresette developed a coaching model, IDS Performance Coaching® services, so unique it was awarded a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  She is a certified speaker, trainer, coach, and facilitator, and her award-winning national Women's Business Enterprise delivers world-class solutions for global, diverse companies with up to 10,000 employees and over $20 billion in revenue. She serves on the National NAWBO Board of Directors.

Read more about Thresette.

Fay Williams - Mentor, Social Worker, Children's Advocate, Civic Leader, Feminist, Professor, Attorney, Campaign Manager, Political Strategist, Lecturer, Art Collector

Ep.9 - Nearing age 89, Attorney/Activist Fay Helen Williams, continues to elevate the local and national agenda to achieve equal rights for women and minorities through her life-long commitment to "raising up the Next generation of Black female leadership." She was an organizer for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and hopes to see this constitutional amendment passed while she is still here to celebrare the victory! Born on the Island of Galveston TX in 1933, she holds out hope for the ERA particularly having lived long enough to see the election of a Black president and the establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday! It is impossible to count the number of accomplished women who credit Fay's contributions and influence on their professional and academic outcomes. Attorney Williams was the first Black woman appointed to the national board of the National League of Women Voters in the mid-1960s wherein she assumed high profile leadership roles that provided her both a constituency and a platform to identify and cultivate activist women in local communities here and abroad.

Read more about Fay.

Karen Jenkins - Entrepreneur, Author, Podcaster

Ep .113 - Karen Jenkins is the president and CEO of KRJ Consulting, a full-service consulting firm providing companies and their employees with the skills and resources to become more committed to their performance, empowered to effect change, and be prepared for the journey ahead. Karen is a recognized speaker, author, and leadership consultant with over 30 years of experience. In 2019, she was recognized as Woman of the Year by Enterprising Women Magazine in the "over $2 million and up to $5 million in annual sales" category. In 2020 she was named the entrepreneur-in-residence at the Richland Library in Columbia. Jenkins was named South Carolina Female Small Business Person of the Year by the United States Small Business Administration South Carolina District Office.

Read more about Karen.

Singleton McAllister - Attorney, Civil and Women's Rights Activist, Philanthropist, Author

Ep. 7 - The Smithsonian Women’s History Act will establish a women’s history museum on the National Mall. Supporters say it’s long overdue. Attorney and philanthropist, Singleton McAllister, is one of the women working to make this museum a reality. No surprises there! Her father was the first African American to become state's attorney in Baltimore, MD in the early 1960s when civil rights and integration was THE national conversation and the conversation in her childhood home. No wonder she was amongst the first undergrads to integrate dormitory living at the University of Maryland College Park in 1970. No wonder she went on to attend Howard University Law School, and subsequently became a co-founder of Transafrica, the first international advocacy organization established to elevate African voices in international policymaking and the general neglect of Black countries, in 1977. Attorney McAllister continues her work and advocacy for women and minorities here and abroad.

Read more about Singleton. 

Leave a Comment to Join the Discussion!

Leave a Comment

Scroll to Top