BLACK WOMEN’S ROUNDTABLE SUCCESSFULLY HOSTS 12th ANNUAL WOMEN OF POWER NATIONAL SUMMIT
Summit Highlights Include the Release of the 10th Annual BWR Policy Report; Annual Public Policy Day on The Hill Featuring Delegation Visits To Congressional Leaders; A White House Briefing With Key Black Women Leaders in the Biden-Harris Administration; Announcing the Winners of BWR’s National Entrepreneurship Challenge; Power Building & Organizing Sessions;
A Global Empowerment and Gospel Day
Washington D.C. – The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s (NCBCP) Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) hosted its 12th Annual Women of Power National Summit from March 15th-19th, 2023. This year’s summit was a great success, bringing together over 600 Black women leaders and allies across generations, from over 20 states and the African Diaspora for five days to share and strategize on high-impact public policy priorities, develop organizing and empowerment plans to lift and improve the lives of Black women, girls, and families and focus on the importance of self-care.
The event was held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, MD, and on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The theme of the summit, “It’s Time to Reset, Rejuvenate, Reimagine, Resist & Act!” embodied the BWR Summit’s mission to energize and leverage the collective and individual power of Black women and girls and the importance of investing in self-care as an effective organizing strategy. A key outcome of the gathering was to amplify the intergenerational power and voices of Black women, continuing to recognize their historic role in shifting political power and inspire all women and girls to reach new levels of leadership in advocacy, business, and elected office.
Virtual remarks were provided by Vice President Kamala Harris, along with a diverse lineup of powerful speakers and panelists including: Melanie L. Campbell, President & CEO, of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, and Convener, Black Women’s Roundtable; the Honorable Angela Alsobrooks, County Executive of Prince George’s County MD; Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Co-Chair, Black Women & Girls Caucus; Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, U.S. Dept. of Justice; Becky Pringle, President, National Education Association; Bishop Leah Daughtry, Co-Founder, Power Rising; Shavone Arlene-Bradley, President & CEO, NCNW; Honorable Juandalynn Givan, President, NOBEL Women; Clayola Brown, National President, APRI; Sheena Meade, CEO, Clean Slate; Latosha Brown, Co-Founder, Black Voters Matter; Barbara Perkins, President & CEO, International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute; Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, President; April D. Ryan, White House Correspondent for the Grio; Monica Simpson, Executive Director, Sister Song, Jacqueline Ayers, Sr. Vice President of Policy, Organizing and Campaigns, PPFA; Sarah McKenzie, Program Coordination Director, Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO; Roland Martin, author, journalist and executive producer of #RolandMartinUnfiltered; and Dr. Elsie Scott, Founding Director, Ronald Walters Leadership & Policy Center @ Howard University. NCBCP BWR state conveners/partners, Black Youth Vote state coordinators, and a host of other local, state, and international leaders and allies also participated as speakers and presenters. Entertainment was provided by Emmy Award Winning Author and Poet, Hank Stewart and acclaimed Gospel Artist Jeremiah Hicks.
Among the many highlights of the summit was the release of the 10th Annual BWR Policy Report on the Status of Black Women; an opening evening plenary with the theme “It’s Time to Reset, Rejuvenate Our Power to Resist, Act & Win!;” a Public Policy Day on the Hill where Black Women leader & allies gathered for a press conference and “Call to Action” on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.; a White House briefing with key figures from the administration; the announcement of The BWR “Take It To The Top” National Entrepreneurship Challenge winners for the DC/MD/VA region; and a Summit closing out with a “Faith & Global Empowerment Day.”
“This year’s summit was a great success and we are thrilled with the outcomes,” said Melanie L. Campbell, President & CEO of, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, and Convener, of Black Women’s Roundtable. “Our summit was not only laser-focused on leveraging our collective power, voices, and agenda on Capitol Hill and with the Biden-Harris Administration, we were very intentional about including health, wellness, and self-care sessions in our program. We were excited to have over 75 girls participate in our ‘Girl Power’ Track and incorporate their voices into this year’s program. This year’s BWR Summit was one of the largest we have hosted that manifested our theme, ‘It’s Time to Reset, Rejuvenate, Reimagine Our Power, to Resist, Act and Win!’”
The BWR Women of Power Summit marks an important step in the ongoing efforts to build and organize political power among Black women and to continue fighting for their rights, freedoms, health, economy, and representative democracy. The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) remains committed to this important work and will continue to host events and initiatives that bring together Black women leaders and allies to drive change and improve the lives of Black women, girls, and families.
Summit highlights can be found below:
- Opening Evening Plenary: “It’s Time to Reset, Rejuvenate Our Power to Resist, Act & Win!” HERE
- Public Policy Education and Black Women Leader & Allies “Call to Action Day” on Capitol Hill HERE
- “Power, Rights, Freedom, Justice, Equity & Equality” Community Day includes HERE
- It’s All About You “Health, Healing & Inspiration” Day HERE
- Gospel Brunch & Global Empowerment Day HERE
BWR Summit ‘23 Investment Sponsors included:
AARP, The Coca-Cola Company, Verizon
Inspire Sponsors Include:
AT&T, Arabella Advisors, Clean Slate Initiative, Comcast NBCUniversal, Goldman Sachs – One Million Black Women Initiative, JP Morgan Chase, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, National Education Association, NEO Philanthropy/State Infrastructure, SEIU, T-Mobile
Additional Sponsors Include:
Sephora, AFSCME, AFT, AirBnB, AFL-CIO, Global Fund for Women, Lyft, Prince George’s County MD Government, American Postal Workers Union, Oxfam, Values Partnerships
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The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) is one of the most active civil rights and social justice organizations in the nation “dedicated to increasing civic engagement, economic and voter empowerment in Black America.” The Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) is the women and girls’ empowerment arm of the NCBCP. At the forefront of championing just and equitable public policy on behalf of Black women, BWR promotes their health and wellness, economic security & prosperity, education, and global empowerment as key elements for success.
