Never underestimate the power of a woman. Thanks to a group of tenacious, determined ladies from the National Women’s History Project, they petitioned to change Women’s History Week to Women’s History Month. In 1987 congress passed Pub. L. 100-9, which designated March as a celebratory month of all things powerfully female.
Thirty six years later, we’ve watched women dominate in sports, music, acting, comedy, fashion and more. As they lead and inspire us to stretch and discover our greatest potential, we also know that women, specifically Black women, have inconceivable hurdles to jump over, simply because of the color of their skin.
Sandra Lajoie learned about the strength and resilience of Black women at a very young age. After an unfortunate incident left her blind in one eye, she worked twice as hard to overcome the stigmas created against her. Years later, Lajoie is the Vice President of Communications at NBCUniversal: NBC and Bravo by day, working on her memoir by night and inspiring the rest of the world 24/7.
Sandra’s Story
Parents go above and beyond to create an enriched, seamless lifestyle for their children. For some immigrant parents, traveling to the US for work to provide for their families is common practice. One of Lajoie’s first examples of a strong Black woman came from her mother, who spent time working in the US to help her family in Haiti. But when an unexpected incident happened to Lajoie in her mom’s absence, her life shifted in a way that would change how she saw the world, literally and figuratively.
“As a child, I was a dreamer and had a feeling that there was so much more out there than just my native land of Haiti. But I never expected that a personal tragedy would serve as the impetus to send my family fleeing Port-Au-Prince. At seven, I found myself on the receiving end of a leather belt from a frustrated family friend who was assigned to watch over me. In the midst of a spanking, I suffered a…
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