To mark Black History Month we are bringing together a panel of Black women to share their stories, thoughts, experiences and advice on the topic of boundaries as a black woman.
This year we have seen how Black women have come under scrutiny because they simply chose to put their mental health first. We saw this on a bigger platform when it happened to Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles and Summer Walker but it happens to Black women every day when we choose to set boundaries that defy the box that we are often put in. The aim of this event is to discuss this really important issue whilst letting other Black women know that it’s ok to feel, it’s ok to be vulnerable, we don’t have to be strong all the time and it’s important that we open up about our shared experiences.
Speakers:
Sharmadean Reid MBE
BUSINESS WOMAN, CHANGEMAKER, ANGEL INVESTOR, CONSUMER TREND ANALYST, WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT CAMPAIGNER
Sharmadean Reid is an entrepreneur, founding Beautystack and WAH Nails. Her mission is to use technology to empower women, economically, socially and culturally. She is a former fashion stylist and brand consultant who started WAH as a hip hop magazine for girls in 2006 while still at university and founded WAH Nails as a side project in 2009. WAH completely changed the beauty landscape with its millennial voice, feminist attitude and innovative salon space. She then wrote two books, delivered global pop up nail salons for 100s of brands, created a product line with Walgreen Boots Alliance and was awarded an MBE from HRH Queen in 2015 for services to Beauty. With her experience from WAH, she founded Beautystack, a new way to book beauty through images. In 2021, after over 10 years of organising women’s communities and events across beauty, business and self-development, Sharmadean launched The Stack, a meeting place for women who are changemakers, entrepreneurs and innovators.
Jamelia:
Hailing from Birmingham, multi-award-winning Jamelia embarked on her career as a singer-songwriter at the tender age of 15.
With 7 top 10 singles, a Double Platinum album and 2 Gold in the UK alone, Jamelia went on to enjoy international success topping the charts in Australia, Thailand, Spain and Italy. Jamelia has toured the world with artists such as Usher, Destiny’s Child and Justin Timberlake to name a few.
After 10 years in the music industry, Jamelia decided to try her hand at Television, which saw her again achieving great success as a panellist, documentary author, presenter and talent show judge.
Jamelia’s modelling has seen her grace the covers of Elle, Cosmopolitan and Harpers Bazaar also fronting campaigns for Pretty Polly, Toni & Guy, Reebok and Boux Avenue.
As an actress, Jamelia has had starring roles in both TV and Cinema alongside accomplished talents such as Michael Madsen, Vinnie Jones and Daniel Mays.
Jamelia’s writing has been published in The Guardian, The Independent, and The Huffington Post, she enjoys using her expansive career & life experience to empower, ignite and inspire women and girls.
With all of these accolades, you’d think Jamelia would find it difficult to choose a favourite role, but these are the ones she describes as her most important, Being a wife to Her Husband of 4Years, and “Mummy” to her 3 gorgeous Daughters Téja (20), Tiani (15), True (3) and adorable Son, Rio (11).
Kelechi Okafor
Kelechi Okafor is an award winning Black British cultural commentator.
An actor, director and writer, Kelechi has multifaceted knowledge and experience in the areas of equality, anti-racism, and diversity, Black womanhood and other
contemporary topics and is well known for her incisive and quick witted observations about society and culture.
Kelechi has built a successful career as a highly regarded personal trainer, dance innovator & pole dance teacher and is the owner of a busy dance studio in London, United Kingdom.
Well known for speaking at events and news channels about important global and local topical issues, Kelechi is credible, engaging, and inspirational and can discuss even the most sensitive topics with her audience in a way that is truthful & entertaining but also educational.
Recently featured in British Vogue and Grazia Magazine, Kelechi is also the host of the award winning Say Your Mind podcast.