Loud Women Lead is a global professional education and networking community for women created by four-time Emmy award-winning journalist Tashara Parker. She launched the foundation to help put women of color at the forefront of sharing their narratives in hopes they will become empowered to amplify their voices, execute their divine purpose and spark positive changes in their communities.

On May 4, the organization hosted its second annual Loud & Clear: A LIVE Storytelling Event at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in downtown Dallas. The occasion gives locals of all ages, backgrounds, relationship statuses and occupations the chance to tell a personal story they want and are ready to share. The applicants selected for the program work with the Texas A&M University alumna to perfect their personal stories for six to eight weeks through guided sessions and rehearsals. At the end of that period, participants take the stage to showcase what they’ve put together, similar to a TED Talk.

“I love the fact that she has created this platform for women who maybe wouldn’t tell their story or maybe have lost their voice for whatever reason. And she’s created this so it gives us a space for us to be free, to be authentic,” Dr. Faith Robertson, one of the highlighted guest speakers of the night, said about the Loud Women Lead event via an Instagram post.

 

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The night was full of inspiration, tears, laughs, and applause as Dr. Biosha Jones (emergency medicine physician), Tiffani Martin (founder and CEO at VisioTech), Lauren Scott (founder of FLYGirlz Academy), Candace Sweat (news reporter), Kim Williams (nonprofit CEO), Dr. Robertson (retired oral and maxillofacial surgeon and founder and CEO of Speaking By Faith), Carla Robertson (Texas Christian University student), Devyn Walker (licensed counselor, yoga instructor and founder of Transcend Wellness Boutique), and Stephanie Drenka (executive director at The Dallas Asian American Historical Society and the facilitator and coach with The OpEd Project) were the nine women in the spotlight discussing diverse topics that affect everyone regardless of gender.

“For a minute, I kept my story hidden behind my clinical training because I never quite felt ready to tell the full story. My story isn’t just about my dad dying by suicide but it’s about my entire upbringing,” Walker wrote in a social media post following the event. “What I’ve been through isn’t unique — so many other BIPOC women can relate. Working on this speech really made me sit down and process some things… And even though it was a tad emotionally taxing, I’m glad I did it.”

Some of the areas touched on throughout the night included overcoming being the only person of color in a space, having a vision and seeing it through, defeating the negatives in a biased environment, as well as embracing the ebbs and flows of life.

In addition, the experience included a marketplace for attendees to support small business owners in the area. Kathy Brown, who was in attendance, picked up a few items from the onsite vendors and felt the concept of the overall occasion was beautiful to witness.

“It was a great experience hearing from the ladies from different backgrounds and different professions,” Brown told Blavity. “It was just really inspiring. It was awesome just to be in the room amongst such great women and just hear their stories. I loved everything about it.”

Other women who came out to support shared the same sentiments as they weren’t sure what to expect since they weren’t at the inaugural kick-off for the series.

“It was absolutely amazing,” Loren Hall, an attendee who won a signed Kyrie Irving Dallas Mavericks jersey, said. “It exceeded my expectations, okay? Absolutely phenomenal. I’m coming back [and] telling everybody for the next one.”

“I love us empowering Black women and women of color altogether,” Dallas native Tiara Moore, a sister of one of the speakers, said in agreeance. “For me, it spoke [to me] personally because as a Black woman in an executive director role and always trying to diminish my value and diminish my space and just the thought, like the word of the day was take up space and being proud of the positions that I’m in.”

To celebrate the second annual “Loud & Clear: A Live Storytelling Event” event, Parker posted a picture with the nine women with a long caption to capture how the night and women made her feel.

“We prayed. We practiced. We proclaimed that they were going to unapologetically take that stage to own their voice and tell their story in a way that only they could tell it. I’m truly over here in tears [and] can barely get through my morning as this past weekend set in,” Parker wrote.

She continued, “You’re looking at women who work full time jobs, run businesses, nonprofits, are executives, entrepreneurs, doctors and everything in between. They poured out their hearts, time, energy and passion over the last 6-8 weeks to remarkably get on stage and share their story #LoudAndClear and boy did it pay off! Thank you LOUD WOMEN for allowing me to lead you along this journey. Y’all deserve all the accolades. I know I ain’t nobody’s mama yet, but this weekend someone told me I’m about to give birth something beautiful. I saw that come full circle Saturday.🤍 #LoudWomenLead #LoudAndClear.”

 

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To learn about Loud Women Lead, visit the website.