If you spent the first day of National Women’s History Month at Young Eventions Group’s (YEG) Women 2 Women Inaugural Conference held at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, you were enriched, empowered and enlightened. This year’s theme was Intergenerational Life Lessons & Legacies and the conference was host to more than 600 women ranging in the ages from six to 85.
“This has been a passion of mine for several years, to have a conference that brings women of all generations together to learn from each other, to pass down lessons and legacies that seasoned women like me and Maya have learned, and share the benefit of our experiences with younger generations of women. Maya also happens to be my personal mentor. I’ve learned the value of intergenerational mentoring primarily through her example,” offers Sonjia Young, founder and CEO of Young Eventions Group.
Young has been close friends with Dr. Maya Angelou, 85, for more than three decades. It was Angelou who encouraged Young six months ago to birth her dream, the Women 2 Women Conference, that she’s carried for five years and she also confirmed she’d be honored to be the keynote speaker for the the YEG Phenomenal Woman Award Luncheon (an award designated in her honor and coined after one of her most famous works). Also during this luncheon, YEG presented the Phenomenal Woman Award to Ingrid Saunders Jones, chair, National Council of Negro Women.
Angelou offered words of wisdom, extemporaneously, while onstage keeping us awe-inspired and and at rapt attention for nearly 20 minutes saying:
1. “Have enough courage to be somebody.”
2. “God put a rainbow in the clouds. Lift someone up.”
3. “Encourage yourself to have courage…it’s an important virtue.”
YEG will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Maya Angelou Teen Center at the Andrew & Walter Young Family YMCA, a state-of-the-art youth center in Southwest Atlanta.
