‘Hattitude’ event highlights history of African American women, inspires future leaders

SALISBURY, Md. – “There are no limits to what we can do,” Elder said.

Saturday, women ages 14 to 80 years old gathered for an afternoon of high hats, tea, and preserving history as the Sisters Empowering Sisters Association Inc. hosted their ‘Hattitude’ event in honor of Black History Month. The event was held at the Charles H. Chipman Cultural Center in Salisbury.

“No matter how we struggled, how the women of our past struggled, and how women today struggle, we still have the empowerment and the courage to rise above,” WEWA Founder Vatina Omosebi said.

“History repeats itself but we get better at it. We become more empowered to do the things that will keep things running.”

While sipping tea, the women dove deep into conversations about the achievements and challenges women of color face past and present. “I see our challenges as primarily dealing with what we believe we can actually accomplish,” Elder said.

The guest speaker was Author Charity Elder of New York City, discussing her book Power: The Rise of Black Women In America.

Elder says the book was influenced by trailblazers like Harriet Tubman. “She didn’t wait for a present to pronounce her free and she didn’t wait for the union troops to march through Maryland,” Elder said.

“The one thing I really want the girls and women to take away is that I want to reframe how they see the possibilities of black women.”

Elder’s book includes 80 years of census data from 1940-2019 showing how far black women have come to find their place in world. It’s work Elder says still continues. “We have the ability to do it. We’re making changes right now. We just need to harness and focus it where we really want to change,” Elder said.

Sisters Empowering Sisters Association is a local non-profit that provides outreach and support services.

To find out more information about SESA, click here