It was a day filled with positivity and empowerment at the Jamaican Women of Florida’s (JWOF) annual Women’s Empowerment conference, held this past Saturday at Jungle Island in Miami.
Seeking to celebrate and support the proverbial “Strong Jamaican Woman,” the event launched with a rousing scholarship luncheon, injected with loads of energy from keynote speaker Paula Williams Madison. The CEO of Madison Media Management LLC and former VP NBC Universal shared her story about growing up in Harlem, New York, and the strong influence of her Chinese-Jamaican mother Nell Vera Lowe on her upbringing. Williams Madison encouraged parents in the audience to reinforce these same values instilled by their Jamaican ancestry – hard work, cultural pride, and the drive to pursue their dreams.
“Even though we are born here, we too are a product of that small island,” said Williams Madison in her address. “That place has a long reach. As Jamaican women we work so hard to improve ourselves and the next generation.”
Supporting the next generation was also a heart of the luncheon, as awards were presented to the current JWOF Scholarship recipients Adrianna Jones, Jaime Noicely, and Rachael Wildman, (whose award was accepted by her mother, Patricia).
The day continued with the popular panel discussion with Jamaican women professionals across diverse fields. Speakers explored various topics to empower women in their daily lives, from smashing the glass ceiling in the careers, to finding professional and personal balance. But perhaps the most valuable moments were the intimate exchanges of encouragement and experiences between generations of Jamaican women.
“It’s been a wonderful experience for me, someone who has been part of the women’s movement for so many years, seeing so many bright young women, women younger than me who are really focusing on women.” said special guest, Jamaican advocate and journalist Beverley Manley. “It was important to me to see that we’re not just dealing with individual women who are empowered, but also about the empowerment of women as a group.”
