CA Senator Kamala Harris and Former GA Minority Leader Stacey Abrams to Address Gathering

NEW ORLEANS - Building on the historic success of the 2018 Power Rising Summit, Black women will reconvene in New Orleans, Louisiana from February 22nd - 24th, 2019. Last year’s summit brought together Black women across ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation, socio- economic status, and gender experience. This year’s summit comes on the heels of a historic and transformative election in which Black women led the effort to elect the most diverse and female Congress in our nation’s history with more than 20 black women serving in Congress for the first time ever. The summit is excited to announce two inspiring speakers this year, women who have been leading efforts to improve the lives of Black women and all women in this country, Senator Kamala Harris (D- CA) and Former Georgia Minority Leader and Founder and Chair of Fair Fight Action Stacey Abrams.
The 2019 Power Rising Summit will also feature speakers across various industries including author, educator, and commentator, Melissa Harris-Perry, Congresswoman Karen Bass, Beverly E. Smith, President, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Linda Goler Blount, MPH, President & CEO of Black Women’s Health Imperative, and Reverend Traci Blackmon, the Executive Minister of Justice & Local Church Ministries, United Church of Christ. With more speakers to be announced over the next two weeks.
Power Rising 2019 will once again assemble to provide a safe space for a cross-section of Black women to have meaningful and challenging conversations, connect on critical issues, and commit to future collective work. In attendance will be Black women representing 35 states including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia,Washington state, and West Virginia.
Over the course of the weekend, Black women and girls will take part in over 50 workshops and panel discussions bolstered by Power Rising’s five pillars of activism and engagement: Culture, Community and Society; Business and Economic Empowerment; Education, Technology, and Innovation; Health & Wellness; and Political Empowerment. The Summit will also include timely and necessary conversations around #MeToo and sexual assault of Black women and girls.
While Black women continue to excel in many areas of life including politics; business and entrepreneurship; academia; and entertainment and media, there remain a host of racial barriers that impact black women’s ability to succeed. Regardless of education and income level, Black women are four times more likely than white women to die in childbirth. Despite being enrolled in college at a

higher rate than any other group, Black women are still paid 61 cents for every dollar paid to white men. The 2019 Power Rising Summit will celebrate the gains Black women have made from politics to the C- Suite, while also strategizing on how to leverage this power to create equity that recognizes the unique challenges facing Black women.
“In the midst of this moment of urgency and social and political unrest, we have once again been called forward to unite as Black women not only to leverage our collective wisdom to develop actionable avenues for ourselves, our communities, and our futures but also to lift one another up in inspiration, joy, and sisterhood,” said Rev. Leah Daughtry, a convener of Power Rising. “Last year we brought together over 1,000 women from all walks of life. From grassroots activists to political neophytes to stay at home moms to elected leaders, to CEOs and entertainers, we know of no other conference that equalizes everyone. This year we aim to expand that experience to even more participants. Our hope is that every woman walks away with newfound contacts and friendships, a renewed sense of hope, and a plan to take action back home in their own communities.”
For those interested in media credentials: Information regarding credentials will be provided during the week of February 11, 2019.
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Power Rising is an intergenerational power force of Black women from various sectors. We are businesswomen, politicians, union members, authors. We are cis and transgender, we are LGBTQ, we are mothers, aunties, and we are immigrants. We are from various backgrounds and share different views, we are Black women - power speaking truth. We are Power Rising.