It took a long time to get where we are today as women, and the work isn’t even close to finished.
Women’s History Month is rooted in the suffragette movement where women fought for a voice in the voting process of their country. Cries for civil rights rang out across the U.S. and Europe, and over 60 years later, in 1981, a U.S. president finally designated a week in March as women’s history week. In the following years, the National Women’s History Project petitioned Congress to make the celebration an entire month. It wasn’t until 1995 that every president began declaring the month of March Women’s History Month.
While many people only equate this month-long celebration with the right to vote, it’s about so much more than that. It’s about recognizing the continual contributions that women make in every sector of society. From art, literature, and education to science, business, and social justice, women are at the forefront of innovation and change. Yet, a set of unconscious biases continue to barricade the doors against many women, especially women of color.
At Detroit Phoenix Center, we aspire to celebrate one another every day. Women face social and political hardships that men do not, and a support system from female confidants who navigate similar waters is a much-needed pillar of strength. This is why, as a women-owned and operated organization, Detroit Phoenix Center continues to work for equitable change.
Women’s History Month provides an opportunity and reminder to celebrate and elevate the women in our lives. Uplifting doesn’t take away opportunity but instead shines a brighter light on all women together. It is a month to celebrate differences, shared experiences, and the unique journey of being a woman.
Women of Change in our Community:
Rhonda Walker
Rhonda Walker Foundation
Rhonda Walker is a WDIV-Local 4 News anchor and founder of her namesake 501(3)©. The foundation focuses on empowering inner-city teens in Detroit to be everything they strive for. The six-tier program focuses on subjects like college prep, health and wellness, community outreach, and personal development. Walker appears frequently as a public speaker and advocates for fearless girls in the Detroit community.
Najah Bazzy, RN
Zaman International
Najah Bazzy is a leader in empathy and healing medicine. She developed a national model of transcultural clinical care during her time at the Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn. She specializes in fostering understanding across diverse cultures, influencing policymakers, educators, and healthcare workers in the Metro Detroit area. She founded Zaman international, an organization committed to facilitating change and advancing the lives of marginalized women and children.
Portia Roberson
Focus: HOPE
Portia Roberson is the CEO of the nonprofit Focus: HOPE, an organization committed to dismantling racism, poverty, and injustice in the Detroit community. The nonprofit supports early childhood learning, youth development, job training, and senior care. Roberson has worked as the leader of the City of Detroit’s Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity Department to ensure Detroit-based businesses focused on local employment, allowing workers the opportunities they need in their hometown.
Sade Beck
Detroit Phoenix Center
Sade Beck is the Youth & Family Services Manager at Detroit Phoenix Center. She works at a grassroots level with vulnerable youth and their families every day to create meaningful change one person at a time. She aspires to be the voice for those who have lost their own, including youth who have experienced homelessness or some form of instability.
Detroit Phoenix Center Staff, Board of Directors, and Youth Members
We would like to celebrate the women that work every day to support our community here at Detroit Phoenix Center. Your dedication to elevating others is inspiring and we are so grateful to have such a great family.
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