Oxfam in partnership with Black Women's Roundtable and Mississippi Black Women's Roundtable is hosting their 3rd annual Symposium at Essence. In collaboration with an advisory council made up of Black women leaders across several sectors, we are bringing together some of the region’s and nation’s brightest minds, organizers and policy makers for conversations that centers Black women at the intersection of economic security, health, and the environment.
Alexis has been an activist since she was a college student. Driven by the disparities in educational opportunity she encountered growing up in Wisconsin, she co-founded Youth Reclaiming Our Communities (Youth ROC), mobilizing students across the state to press for education finance reform. Since then, she hasn’t stopped working toward a vision of a more inclusive and more equitable society. She has dedicated her career to community organizing, coalition building, public policy, and strategic planning, exemplified by her work on issues of racial and gender equity and the politics of power and privilege.
Read more about Alexis Anderson-Reed here.
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Read about Representative Delisha Boyd here.
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I am an experienced sustainability leader, with expertise in environmental health, climate, packaging and product circularity, and water. I've advanced ESG solutions across a variety of sectors including food, cosmetics and personal care, household cleaning, apparel, buildings, electronics and household appliances.
Specialties: Sustainable business strategy and management | Climate risk management and accounting (including scope 3) | Chemicals strategy and management | Environmental policy and regulatory analysis | ESG reporting (e.g. CDP, GRI, SASB) | LCA and material flow analysis
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Congresswoman Cori Bush is a registered nurse, community activist, organizer, single mother, and ordained pastor representing the people of Missouri's First Congressional District. Congresswoman Cori is in her first term in the United States House of Representatives, serving on the House Judiciary Committee - including as Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security - and the House Oversight Committee.
Cori is the first Black woman and first nurse to represent Missouri; the first woman to represent Missouri's First Congressional District; and the first activist from the movement to save Black lives elected to the United States Congress.
Melanie Campbell is president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable, and an active leader in the civil rights, women's rights, and social justice movements. Campbell recently celebrated 25 years of service with the NCBCP; she has served as an adviser to US presidents, members of Congress, philanthropists, and corporate, labor, nonprofit, and faith leaders on critical issues impacting Black America.
Read more about Melanie Campbell here.
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Maria Harmon is from Lake Charles, LA. She is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Step Up Louisiana, a grassroots membership based organization that advocates for economic and education justice across the state of Louisiana. Maria has been organizing since the age of 16 with the Junior Daughters of the Knights of Peter Claver. She has a Masters Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from Southern University A&M College of Baton Rouge, LA. During her time at Southern, Maria built a network of over 2,000 students to become civically engaged while working with the Louisiana Democratic Party. She helped start Democracy Prep Public School of Baton Rouge by enrolling 192 students for their first school year in 2015-2016. She has also worked for the Micah Project, a federation of the PICO National Network/Faith In Action, in 2016 as a community organizer working in education and civic engagement.
Jackson businesswoman Willie Jones is the president and CEO of Dependable Source Corp., a workforce development center that cultivates solutions to the transportation industry. Launched in 1995, Dependable Source Corp is a respected leader in the transportation industry.
Dependable Source Corp. of MS has provided experienced, professional and DOT certified commercial drivers to manufacturers, distributors and motor carriers throughout the South. Dependable Source Corp was recognized in 2016 as one of the Largest Minority Owned Businesses in Mississippi by the Mississippi Business Journal and its president, Jones, Top 50 Women in Business 2013.
Read more about Willie Jones here.
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Read about Shamyra Lavigne here.
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Elected at age 27, Heather served as the first African American, first female and youngest mayor of Greenville, Mississippi. Under her leadership, the city emerged from significant debt and focused on sustainable infrastructure repair.
In 2014, she was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as Regional Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Southeast Region, where she served until 2017. She led efforts to create and support local environmental justice initiatives, promote clean energy and enhance the quality of work life.
Read more about Heather McTeer Toney here.
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Roishetta Sibley Ozane has over a decade of experience representing organizations as a community outreach specialist. She is the Clean Energy Organizing Director with Healthy Gulf for the Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas region. Roishetta is a She Leads Fellow for the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, where she empowers women of color to go out into their communities and make positive change. She is a member of the McNeese State University Black Alumni Association, a member of the National Association of University Women-NAUW, a Participatory Working Group Member for the Hive Fund, a Town Hall Facilitator for Gulf South For A Green New Deal, and an Americorp Vista alum. She has an Associate Degree in Business from Strayer University and a Bachelor’s of General Studies with an emphasis in Behavioral Science from McNeese State University. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Criminal Justice. Most importantly, she is a mom to 6 very special children, and she is making the world a better place for them.
Colette Pichon Battle (she/her) is the Vision and Initiatives Partner for Taproot Earth. She spearheaded efforts around equitable climate disaster recovery, global migration, community economic development, and energy democracy through the Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy, an organization that she founded in 2005.
Dr. Lakeisha Richardson, F.A.C.O.G. is a well-respected board-certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist. She is also a well-known speaker, consultant, and adjunct clinical professor. In addition, she is a leading expert in sexual dysfunction. Simply put, her mission is to help women improve their sexual health and wellness.
Ashley K. Shelton is the Founder, President, and CEO of the Power Coalition, a statewide 501c3 table in Louisiana. The Power Coalition uses a broad-based strategy that combines community organizing, issue advocacy, and civic action all while increasing the capacity of community organizations throughout the state to sustain and hold the work.
Read more about Ashley Shelton here.
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Priscilla Sims Brown is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Amalgamated Bank. Ms. Brown is a multi-national board director and C-suite executive with 30 years of financial services experience. Prior to joining Amalgamated Bank she was the Group Executive for Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, where she focused on rebuilding trust and pride in the bank with direct responsibility for end-to-end marketing, branding, stakeholder insights, government and public affairs, and environment and social policy.
Elaine Welteroth is a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning journalist, producer, and former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue. In 2017, Welteroth broke new ground as the youngest person and the second African-American to ever hold this title at a Condé Nast publication. She has been credited for reinventing the magazine as the go-to source for socially conscious young people. Prior to Teen Vogue, she held senior editorial positions at Glamour and Ebony. Her writing appears in The New York Times, British Vogue, and The Hollywood Reporter. She has written for the hit show Grown-ish and has appeared on-camera for a range of media outlets including ABC News, Netflix, and Bravo’s new Project Runway where she appears as a judge. She resides in Brooklyn with her husband.
Sharon Weston Broome is a firm believer in achieving progress through inclusion, innovation, and information.
Since taking office, Mayor Broome has placed a heavy focus on improving the quality of life for citizens while building resiliency through infrastructure improvements. She has focused on addressing transportation, drainage, public safety, education, economic development, and revitalizing neighborhoods.
Mayor Broome is the first female Mayor-President of the City of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish. She previously served as a Baton Rouge Metro City Council Member, a Louisiana State Representative, and a Louisiana State Senator.
Read more about Mayor Sharon Weston Broome here.
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Alyse Rooks | Environmental Defense Fund
Cassandra Welchlin | Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable
Colette Pichon-Battle | Taproot Earth
Keecha Harris | Keecha Harris and Associates
Lakeisha White Richardson, MD/ OB-GYN
LaTosha Brown | Black Voters Matter Fund
Malia Cohen | California State Controller
Melanie Campbell | National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
Michelle Owens, MD/OB-GYN
Nsombi Lambright | OneVoice
Willie Jones | Dependable Source Corp of Mississippi
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