SISTERS OF TODAY AND TOMORROW UPDATE

SOT IN BRIEF:

Sisters of Today and Tomorrow (SOT) expands its reach! SOT recently hosted “Awakening the Dream in Me” Sisters Circle in Gainesville, Georgia, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hall County. Check out SOT in the Gainesville Times. http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/m/section/6/article/109058/

Join Sisters of Today and Tomorrow for the 30-day Mother’s Day Challenge, where you honor your mother by making a 90 second or less video about a life-long lesson she has taught you; attach the video to our face book page and make a donation to SOT in her honor. For Details: http://sistersoftodayandtomorrow.blogspot.com/2015/04/sot-30-day-mothers-day-challenge.html

“The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has especially asked for your attendance and support of his desire to assist your tireless efforts in our community to "Save Our Girls," with your program, "Sisters of Today and 'Tomorrow," in a recent correspondence sent to SOT Founder / Executive Director Carla Morrison. Join members of SOT, their mothers, grandmothers, God mothers, aunts and mentors, this Saturday, April 18, 2015, 10am-12pm, at Mosque #15, 3642 Campbellton Rd., SW., Atlanta, Georgia, for this enlightening program. We encourage SOT supporters, mothers, mentors and members to come out in full force. Rsvp by Wednesday, April 15^th info@sistersoftodayandtomorrow.org . Sisters of Today and Tomorrow has been featured in the Final Call four times over the past year; most recently last week. See below:

http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_102259.shtml

Calling all Girls! Calling all Girls, (ages 11-18) from across the nation! Register for Sisters of Today and Tomorrow’s 8^th Annual National Leadership Conference, Friday-Saturday, July 10-11, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia. Fun & interactive workshops (self-esteem building, health & wellness, leadership, careers/entrepreneurship); College Scholarship opportunities and more. For details and to pre-register your daughter or mentee, after May 1, 2015, log onto: www.SOT2Girls.org 

And if you didn’t know…

Sisters of Today and Tomorrow-New Haven hosted its 2^nd annual Leadership Conference for Girls in New Haven, Connecticut this past winter, in partnership with Alder-Woman Jeanette Morrison of Ward 22-NH. Highlights included: Lunch with a Leader – Mayor Toni Harp; Chat with an Entrepreneur, featuring Business Leader Roberta Hoskie; Zumba with Fitness Guru Chaila “Cameo” Gilliams and a powerful Sisters Circle with a judge, lawyer, police officer, social worker, journalist, radio personality and other prominent women in the community, topic: “DO BLACK LIVES MATTER?”.

Since the New Haven Conference, Sisters of Today and Tomorrow was honored by Pastor Sharon Burns & Kingdom Mantles Ministry Jewels & Gems Women’s Conference. http://rollingout.com/photos/event-photos-photos/sisters-today-tomorrow-make-difference-new-haven-connecticut/

SOT welcomes your time, talents and treasures. #GiveuntilitHurts www.SOT2Girls.org

Sisters of Today and Tomorrow mission is to transform the lives of girls and the women who raise them, through innovative programs that focus on self-esteem, education, health & fitness and careers/entrepreneurship. 

For daily updates on SOT, follow us:

www.twitter.com/SistersofToday

www.instagram.com/SistersofToday

Log onto: www.SOT2Girls.org

Email: info@SOT2Girls.org 

SOT 30-DAY MOTHER'S DAY CHALLENGE

“Girls emulate the first person they see; and in most cases that person is their mother. Growing up, I did everything my mother did. And as an adult, not only do I look like her, I talk, walk and act just like my mother, which is seen in the work that I do…” – Carla Morrison, Founder of Sisters of Today and Tomorrow

As Mother’s Day approaches, join Sisters of Today and Tomorrow’s 30-day Mother’s Day Challenge, by honoring your mother with a video sharing a life-long lesson she has taught you; And a donation to Sisters of Today and Tomorrow. ALL PROCEEDS OF THIS 30-DAY CHALLENGE are tax deductible and WILL SUPPORT Sisters of Today and Tomorrow’s “Mommy, Mentor and Me” program, in addition to our overall mission. Sisters of Today and Tomorrow’s mission is to transform the lives of girls and the women who raise them, through innovative programs focused on self-esteem, education, health & fitness and careers / entrepreneurship.

The “Mommy, Mentor and Me” program is a series of activities that include, but not limited to: Special outings, health & wellness workshops, cooking demonstrations, etiquette classes and tea parties, where we explore strengthening the bond between mother, daughter and mentor.

  

LOG ONTO www.SOT2Girls.org 

#MothersDaygiftideas #MothersDayChallenge

 

The Challenge:

Honor your mother, by sharing on video a life-long lesson she has taught you and donating to Sisters of Today & Tomorrow.

There are two categories: 1.) Funny or 2.) Sincere/Heart felt.

Steps to get involved:

1.            Like Sisters of Today & Tomorrow’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sisters-of-Today-Tomorrow/357394781724?fref=ts&ref=br_tf 

(Twitter & Instagram) @SistersofToday

2.            Create your Mother’s Day video message in 90 seconds or less. 

3.            Upload your Mother’s Day video message onto your page and tag Sisters of Today & Tomorrow’s facebook page.

4.            Once the video is uploaded, SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORK.

5.            Challenge your friends to make a video and donate in honor of their mother to Sisters of Today & Tomorrow.

6.            Make a donation in honor of your MOTHER or SPECIAL WOMAN IN YOUR LIFE to Sisters of Today & Tomorrow.

You can make a donation in honor of your Mother, Godmother, Grandmother, Aunt or Mentor to Sisters of Today & Tomorrow, online: www.SOT2Girls.org (click the donate button); Telephone: 404-319-2130 or mail: Sisters of Today & Tomorrow, PO Box 54066, Atlanta, Georgia. 30308. #MothersDaygiftideas #MothersDayChallenge

THE INTIMATE CONNECTION BETWEEN RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND FUNDRAISING

Last week I had the great pleasure of attending the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), “2015 International Fundraising Conference” in Baltimore, Maryland, with over 4,000 fundraising professionals. 

Each Master Trainer and Development Officer from around the world easily shared their in-depth and vast experience on fundraising. As I listened to their presentation, I became excited about how I could apply this information to help take Sisters of Today and Tomorrow (SOT) from good to great. 

With hundreds of workshops to choose from, all of which, seemed relevant to SOT’s needs; the workshop that resonated with me the most, was “Date Your Donors: How to Attract and Engage a New Generation of Philanthropists,” with Jonah Halper, ALTRUICITY, Nanuet, NY.

Halper took the class through the process of relationship building through the lens of courtship. He discussed how your actions and words can help your organization stand out from others; As well as ways to find out what inspires prospective and existing donors to advocate for and support your organization. The method and goal, is to connect, engage and inspire donors to give.

As I thought about the relationship building process of Sisters of Today and Tomorrow’s network, it is evident that our actions speak truth to power, however our engagement with prospective donors has to be on a more intimate level, if we want to sustain and continue serving our constituents.

“What you are actually doing is producing hope,” Comedienne / Actress Whoopi Goldberg, told the fundraisers. Goldberg was the featured speaker during AFP’s Opening General Session. “Donors look to you for how they can make a difference.”

“What is my Five dollars going to do? It makes the road a little shorter.” – Whoopi Goldberg

With minimal resources, Sisters of Today and Tomorrow is making a difference in the lives of young girls and the women who raise them, through transformational programming focused on self-esteem, education, health & fitness and career / entrepreneurship. We also offer mentorship matching, where each individual is paired with a woman professional in her preferred career field of interest, providing exposure, experience and opportunity. 

Join us in making a difference by contributing your time, talents and treasures…  #Giveuntilithurts www.SOT2Girls.org (click the donate button) 

Sisters under siege Black girls, young women must not be forgotten

A must read!!!

Sisters under siege Black girls, young women must not be forgotten

NELSON MANDELA'S LONG WALK TO FREEDOM

NELSON MANDELA

LONG WALK TO FREEDOM

By Carla Morrison

Often I feel the spirit of our ancestors speaking to me to act; however, I’m often in limbo on how to channel my actions to be most effective with real change. Will it be through my writing ability, my public relations efforts or my community/youth engagement?

Last night, I attended the pre-screening of the film “Mandela” Long Walk to Freedom, played by Idris Elba, who did a dynamic job, as did Naomie Harris, who played the role of Winnie Mandela. 

The film really moved me in a way that woke me up in the middle of the night thinking about Nelson Mandela’s life work and that of Winnie Mandela. At that time, I said to myself, “I’m going to write an article on this movie” and I then began thinking about my in-direct connection to such a rich history.  I didn’t think by the time I would actually sit down and begin writing the piece, Nelson Mandela would have passed on….

I saw and felt the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, as I watched the life of Nelson Mandela on film. However, it was the strong desire for freedom Winnie Mandela possessed, that I believe was ignited by Nelson Mandela, that kept the African National Congress (ANC) mission alive during the 27 years Mandela was in jail. Nelson Mandela’s influence on his strong spirited and passionate wife Winnie and the South African nation will live on for generations to come. 

As a young girl growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, I first became aware of Nelson Mandela, when the Superintendent of New Haven Public Schools Dr. John Dow, was arrested for protesting against Apartheid in front of Yale University.  At the time, I didn’t understand why my Superintendent would put himself in a position to get arrested, because in my mind, we were past the Civil Rights Movement and I had no idea what Apartheid was. By the time I went off to college, I became more aware of Nelson Mandela; and when he was released from jail, he visited New York City, in 1990, where he spoke at Yankee Stadium, with thousands of people gathered to see him and I was right there standing proud as I witnessed history.

17 years later, in 2007, at the request of Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey opens a school for girls, “Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls”, in South Africa. As the founder of my own girl’s organization, “Sisters of Today and Tomorrow”, I get excited just thinking about what these girls will become, and how they will change the world. I also think about the probability of Nelson Mandela’s thought process when he asked Oprah to develop a school in his native land…  In my mind, I believe he understood his influence and Oprah’s power.  The combination will be historic; because the girls who attend and graduate from “Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls” in South Africa have the opportunity to attend college anywhere in the world. And we all know when you educate a girl you educate a nation.

With education being the foundation for these young girls, a hint of Winnie Mandela’s passionate history for freedom that Mandela ignited and the guidance of a woman like Oprah Winfrey, the legacy of Nelson Mandela and his fight for true freedom will live on, as this long walk for freedom is not over just yet.

God Bless you Nelson Mandela and thank you for the influence you have had on the world and generations to come…

LEADING BY EXAMPLE The Legacy of Leadership…

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

The Legacy of Leadership…

by: Carla Morrison

For the past couple of weeks I had been anticipating attending the 9^th Annual Spelman College Leadership Conference, themed, “Women of Color”, Strategic Leadership: Building Wealth, Entrepreneurship and Paying it Forward. The Conference is one of my personal, annual highlights, where career driven women from all walks of life, with outstanding careers and/or businesses come together, share and learn from one another. 

Nicole Ari Parker and Judy A. Smith, both Spelman College
Legacy of Leadership Awards Honorees.

This year’s conference was no different; however, the Leadership of Legacy Awards Dinner was the event, I was especially looking forward to, because Judy Smith was going to be one of the honorees, (along with actress Nicole Ari Parker). “Who is Judy Smith?” one might ask. You heard of ABC’s “Scandal” right? Well, the show was inspired by Ms. Smith’s body of work, as a “Fixer” (in the public relations world we call it “Crisis Communications Manager”). And since public relations is what I do, it was thrilling for me to see and meet such an accomplished woman who has been highlighted and revered through a television show, for her intelligence, as a leading Public Relations professional/Crisis Communications Manager/Advisor. (Think the Michael Vick Case, Monica Lewinsky, the family of Chandra Levy, Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., and Washington, DC Mayor Marion Barry, just to name a few).

When I walked into the Georgia World International Convention Center (GWICC) where Spelman’s Legacy of Leadership Awards Dinner was being held, I was frantically looking for the press room, because I thought I was late for my interview with Ms. Smith (I’m also a journalist). As I was walking back and forth, I glanced to my left and spotted a woman of color, in a white pant suit, with long hair and glasses, sitting at a table, engrossed in a serious telephone conversation.  It was Judy Smith! aka the real “Olivia Pope”, live and in living color, doing what she does best. I waved hello and mouthed that I would be interviewing her. She positioned her finger to say, “one minute” and I kindly waited. Ms. Smith’s conversation went on for a while and was so intense, that she got up and walked away, but I kept my eye on her the whole time, so I wouldn’t miss my opportunity…

…A few minutes later, “I’m sorry I was on the phone. I was working,” said Ms. Smith, as she shook my hand.  “I know I heard you, I replied with a big smile. “Was it another scandal”, I asked. “Not something that I can tell you about,” said Smith, as we both laughed. What was even funnier was, the interviews hadn’t started yet and I was just in time for the press conference…

From journalists to the public relations specialists, and all the other professionals attending the conference, we were all excited to see, meet and interview Judy Smith, known as the real live “Olivia Pope”, from which ABC’s SCANDAL was inspired.

“The drums called you warrior, and we never saw you coming,” said Dr. Jane E. Smith, Executive Director of Spelman College’s LEADS program, as she introduced Judy Smith to the crowd of over 500 people, (mostly women), who roared with screams, and hand claps.

(l-r) Dr. Beverly Tatum presents Judy Smith with the Legacy of Leadership Award,
along with Dr. Jane E. Smith, who so eloquently introduced Ms. Smith. 

Judy Smith approached the podium and shouted, “Where are all my gladiators?” during her awards acceptance speech. When you talk about leadership, Smith said, “I lead by example. I focus on the work; do the work well and hopefully the work will speak for itself.” Smith went on to mention the importance of “showing up, leading the way and supporting one another”.

During the press conference, I asked Smith, what did she see her legacy being. Smith responded, “I haven’t really thought about my legacy; I feel at this point in my life, I’m just getting started”. And it was at that very moment that I realized, Ms. Smith didn’t recognize her legacy as being just what she said in her speech, “doing the work” and “supporting one another”.

Most Scandal watchers love the edgy story lines, the affair with the President, and the killings, but for the Public Relations professionals like myself and the hundreds of other PR experts who were in the room and around the world, we are inspired by Smith’s “work” to lead. Developing the level of network needed to get things done, using the media to convey the message she set forth for her client(s), establishing herself as a major player in the PR game and extending her personal and professional brand to millions of people through a major network, ABC.

Compassionate, committed and non-judge-mental are a few of the adjectives Ms. Smith used to describe who she is, as well as the character of Olivia Pope.  “I think the great thing about this show (Scandal) is that this is the first time an African American woman has played a major role on television in a very long time, so it was important to me that, that person have a degree of strength and a level of confidence and that person feel like she is at the top of her game and not afraid to show that."

Smith showed that same level of confidence, compassion and commitment to her work and her supporters. After the awards dinner, there was a long line of public relations professionals who came up to Ms. Smith, wanting to take photos, get a hug or just tell her how inspired they are by her. And the awesome thing about Judy Smith, she stayed and met every last person who approached her; from the corporate public relations professionals of Coke, UPS, Georgia Power, the Atlanta Braves and more, to the small business owner, as well as the GWICC Wait Staff, who called a relative for Ms. Smith to speak with.

“You all support me, why wouldn’t I stay,” said Smith. Leading by example is what she does; And Spelman College is producing those kinds of women leaders everyday.

 

Just a few of the many top PR professionals from Los Angeles
and Atlanta that were onsite at the Spelman
Legacy of Leadership Awards Dinner.

“Spelman College is an institution about academic excellence, leadership development and service. And in the leadership area, with the leadership of Dr. Tatum, we want to put emphasis on women of color and the work that they do. And this year its about wealth building, and entrepreneurship and paying it forward for our community.” -Dr. Jane E. Smith

SOT Adventures: InfluenceHER Community

SOT Adventures: InfluenceHER Community: Rhonda Wilkins and Carla Morrison I have a delayed reaction to most things, unless I’m in a dangerous situation. And yesterday, by no ...