Empower Possible Recap: Deep Appreciation and Heartfelt Moments
On April 27, More than 300 guests joined us at the McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis for our third annual fundraising event, Empower Possible, to support our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women and to celebrate another year of our work together to advance racial justice, early childhood education, girls and youth development and health and wellness. The event featured a silent auction, a live band and Auctioneer TiWanna “TK” Kenney.
The Power of Working Together
Our seventh annual Woman of Power Award was presented to Sondra Samuels, who accepted the award on behalf of the Solidarity Dividend, saying that one plus one doesn’t equal two, it equals a million when you work together. Sondra Samuels is the President and CEO of the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ), a place-based nonprofit she co-founded in 2009. Sondra is leading a revolutionary culture shift in North Minneapolis in partnership with key stakeholders that aim to end the cycle of poverty through education, family stability and fostering equity. She spoke about JFK’s inspirational quote, ‘We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
"I feel like we’re not alive unless we’re doing hard things and what’s hard right now is eradicating the achievement gap between white and black students in this state. That’s hard. But I know with every ounce in me and with every partner that’s standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me, we’re going to get it done in Minnesota." — Sondra Samuels
Passionate for Justice and Service
Our third annual Kate Berman Leadership Award was presented to Doris Pagelkopf, executive director of the United Ways of Minnesota, a 35-member statewide association she created over the past 20 years. YWCA Minneapolis established the Kate Berman Leadership Award in 2022 to honor our former board chair who passed away unexpectedly in April 2020. During her board service, Kate was a passionate advocate for the mission of YWCA Minneapolis and led multiple initiatives. As she accepted the award, Doris emphasized being blessed with supportive family and friends worldwide, travel as being the most important educator and the many organizations that fueled her passion for justice. Doris has served at the local, national and global levels at YWCA. “When I was living in Boston in 1979, I walked through the doors at the Cambridge YWCA for a job interview. And I got the job teaching young women from Harvard and MIT leadership skills, they knew more than I did, I think. But over these years I’ve gotten assignments I never knew I could do. YWCA was there to teach, encourage and push me ahead.”
"One of my most important learnings was that traveling to another country, just showing up is incredibly important. I believe that travel is the most important educator. I can’t emphasize that enough. I also discovered, and maybe my most important learning in life, is that I never found my own life and who I was until I gave it away. You can’t find out who you are until you give it away in service. I thank YWCA Minneapolis who gave me many challenges and pushed me out there and said you can do it and we’re here to teach you. My blood runs persimmon, it’s YWCA. " — Doris Pagelkopf
Inaugural Camille J. Gage Fellowship Award
In addition to our Woman of Power and Kate Berman Leadership Awards, we presented the Camille J. Gage Artist Fellowship Award, which honors Minnesota-based artists who demonstrate service with their creative gifts at the intersections of art and activism. The fellowship extends the legacy of Camille Joy Gage, who was a multi-faceted, multi-talented artist and activist for climate change, women’s reproductive rights, racial justice and homelessness whose artwork hangs in the Minneapolis Institute of Art and Weisman Art Museum. The award went to Amoké Kubat, and Hawona Sullivan Janzen accepted on her behalf. When Kubat moved from Los Angeles to Minneapolis in 1987, she specifically asked, “Where do Black folk live?” North Minneapolis community members welcomed her, and she resides there today directing YO MAMMA HOUSE, INC., a 501(c)3 nonprofit that offers workshops to empower mothers and build community around artmaking. As a self-taught artist, Kubat centers her artmaking on weaving, doll-making and clay. She is also a published author of short stories, a memoir, a play and the Playbook for the play. Kubat also appeared in a billboard Gage co-created with the headline, When the call is “Justice!”...all mothers are summoned, based on a young girl’s viral protest sign after George Floyd’s murder.
A hearty thank you to everyone who came to support our YWCA Minneapolis community. We are so grateful! Thank you to our sponsors, table hosts and attendees for your generosity. Together, we empower the possible!
Enjoy and Share our Photos from the Night!
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