Los Angeles, CA (News4usOnline) – The Black Business Association (BBA) held a lavish affair at the Sheraton Gateway in Los Angeles on March 29 to celebrate Women’s History Month.
The BBA’s “Salute to Black Women Business Conference, Vendor Faire & Awards” featured a leadership symposium and youth forum.
The event brought out a whole host of business reps, entrepreneurs, and community leaders being honored for their work and leadership. The event’s theme, “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations,” served as a backdrop to those who attended the luncheon.
“We need to come together and support one another,” said Sarah Harris, president of the BBA. “We don’t need to be having separate agendas, separate, you know, ways to counter against something or what have you. We need to really work together. The word of the day really is collective, collective empowerment, collective action, collective workings, and relationships. It’s really about working together.”
Looking at the climate the state of the country is in today, considering massive layoffs and firings of federal works and the wipe out of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and programs by the Trump Administration,
Harris is concerned over some things she is seeing, but not how Black women will respond to the challenge.
“I’m not worried about Black women, in terms of the efforts that we put in and the innovation that we have and the dedication and the enthusiasm, but what does worry me are those forces that want to attack us and make us erase our history…It’s a constant struggle that we need to work on. But as far as ourselves, our determination, I’m not worried,” Harris remarked.
Michelle Fisher, who serves as the co-anchor at ABC7 Eyewitness News on the weekends and evenings, was selected as the mistress of ceremony for the daylong event. It was Fisher’s first time attending the event. She sounded the alarm on why such an occasion is necessary to celebrate and tell the success stories of Black women.
“I think that it’s really an honor to be asked to do something like this because Black women deserve to have their stories celebrated, their stories told, and the work that these women are doing needs to be amplified. So, to have a part in amplifying that, I’m honored,” Fisher said.
Considering the upheaval and the chaotic uncertainty going around the country, Fisher said functions such as the BBA’s “Salute to Black Women Business Conference, Vendor Faire & Awards” are necessary.
“There are attacks all across our country on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives,” Fisher stated. “And obviously, that’s going to have a trickle down effect on Black women, and Black women in Southern California in various ways. So, I think events like this, in a year like this, you know, is even more important than maybe than it was in the past, just to remind people that it takes persistence, that’s important to continue fighting for the advocacy of Black women.”
Michelle Gaskill-Hames, the president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan & Hospitals of Southern California and Hawaii, was one of eight individuals selected to be honored by the BBA. She was excited.
“So honored to be receiving the leadership impact award,” Gaskill-Hames said. “Kaiser Permanente focuses on trying to make an impact on the five million members that we serve across Southern California and Hawaii. So, as I receive this award, I really take it that we have really been able to make an impact. We’re going to continue to do so, and really this is an award that celebrates my amazing team.”
Gaskill-Hames added that the honoring of Black women by the BBA is a cause for celebration.
“I am so grateful that the Black Business Association is honoring Black women…I think it’s needed now. We need that affirmation. We need to continue to remember Black girl magic. That was a thing. That was an in thing. It’s always a thing. Black women are making such an impact on our communities, and I’m so glad that the BBA is celebrating it,” Gaskill-Hames said.
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