2020 Power List: Black Women in Europe©; blog releases 11th “list of our own”

2020 Power List
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The Black Women in Europe™ blog, created in 2006 by Adrianne George, released its 11th Black Women in Europe™: Power List 2020  – A List of Our Own©. This 11th  year we feature 9, and give special recognition to 11 women who provided 14 workshops and performances in our Let’s Do Us! Series to mitigate pandemic lockdown anxiety. The awardees are in the following categories: Activism, Arts, Entrepreneurship, Fashion,  Media, and STEM.

2020 has been anything but normal, George concedes.But black women across Europe continued to do amazing things, including coming together to help each other deal with the repercussions of a global pandemic in our Let’s Do Us! Workshop series”.

In 2010 the Black Women in Europe™ Blog released its first Power List naming 58 women across Europe in 6 categories. Over the last 11 years, a total of 182 women have been included on the Black Women in Europe™: Power List  – A List of Our Own©. It was the first and remains the only one of its kind that celebrates the achievement of black women across Europe. This year marks the first time that two women have been named in two different years.

The previous lists combined have received well over 341,384 views on Slideshare and are presented in alphabetical order. They are intended to acknowledge powerful black women in Europe and to inspire others to reach their full potential. The lists do not aim to assess rank but rather to showcase influential women who, in some cases are well known and in others, are women who should be known.

This is the 7th year the list contains a call to action to join the Black Women in Europe™ Kiva Lending Team. It is the 5th year that the Power List is dedicated to Derek McCullough, former List creative director, who died in 2015.

How to Find Freedom in Chaos: LET’S DO US! Workshop Series

You are invited to our Developing Resistance Workshop led by Damianne President on June 11, 2020, during the LET’S DO US! series created by Black Women in Europe (®) to be a part of our solution for surviving and thriving in these uncertain COVID-19 days, weeks, and months.

Erica Smith
Erica Smith

About Workshop leader Erica Smith

Erica has worked as a Healing Arts counselor since 2015, developing personalized holistic programs for individuals, private and public organizations worldwide. Passionate about creating opportunities for dynamic, open, and constructive dialogue on the human condition.
By forming viable solutions she brings together all of her learning and teaching experiences under one roof so that you are invited into a place of exploratory energy with purpose and action.

About the Workshop

Finding and sharing our freedom in the midst of chaos from the events that led up to Juneteenth celebrations in the 19th century to our current events now in the 21st century. 

Developing Resistance: LET’S DO US! Workshop Series June 11, 2020

You are invited to our Developing Resistance Workshop led by Damianne President on June 11, 2020, during the LET’S DO US! series created by Black Women in Europe (®) to be a part of our solution for surviving and thriving in these uncertain COVID-19 days, weeks, and months.

Damianne President

Bio:

Damianne President was a classroom teacher and technology coordinator for 15 years. She now works in IT for a popular web hosting and eCommerce platform. You can find her many projects and personal blog at dpresident.net. Damianne is interested in change and how we can best navigate it, and she explores this in her podcast changesbigandsmall.com.

Workshop description:

With so much time at home, you may be feeling overwhelmed. Whether you have more time or work continues, as usual, you are likely under extra stress due to the current pandemic. Join me to learn some strategies that you can practice daily to build your resilience, helping you cope during this time.

Registration is required and limited to 100 participants.

LET'S DO US!

SocaFit Class: LET’S DO US! Series June 11, 2020

You are invited to let loose and have fun with a SocaFit dance workout class led by Chantal Dos Santos on June 11, 2020, during the LET’S DO US! series created by Black Women in Europe (®) to be a part of our solution for surviving and thriving in these uncertain COVID-19 days, weeks, and months.

Chantal Dos Santos

Chantal Dos Santos
Chantal is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on dance. She has been active in improvisation, Contemporary dance, Afro-Caribbean, and Oriental Dance in addition to a variety of world folk dances. Chantal is recognized by the Canada Council for the Arts as a Cultural Connector and has been funded by both the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council to undertake choreography projects in Canada and abroad. As a teacher, her course offerings have included: Holistic Bellydance, Afro-Caribbean Dance, Dance Improvisation, Movement Meditation, Supple & Strong: Hip and Pelvic Floor Training, and SocaFit. Chantal splits her time between Canada, Barbados, and Germany. Find out more about Chantal’s work at cdsmovement.com and under her stage name ‘Jomana’ at bellydancebarbados.com

SocaFIT
Loosen those hips with and wake up the pelvic floor basic movements from the Caribbean carnival tradition. A Soca dance party combined with strengthening and stretching for a full-body workout guaranteed to get you hot, hot, hot! (variations are given for both low and high impact).

Registration is required and limited to 100 participants.

LET'S DO US!

Mental health checkup online group session led by psychotherapist Yema Ferreira: LET’S DO US! Series June 4, 2020

You are invited to join a very special private Mental health checkup: Online group session led by psychotherapist Yema Ferreira on June 4, 2020, during the LET’S DO US! series created by Black Women in Europe (®) to be a part of our solution for surviving and thriving in these uncertain COVID-19 days, weeks, and months.

The online session is on June 4, 2020 at 8 pm Denmark time.

The coronavirus pandemic caught us all by surprise due to the speed and breadth of its spread as well as the drastic measures implemented around the world to slow it down. Its impact in our lives ranges from social isolation, job and financial insecurity, caring for children, elderly or ill relatives while still having to work, general uncertainty about the future and more. This is affecting the mental health and wellbeing of many of us. In this free 90-minute online group session for black women brought to you by Black Women in Europe(®) and facilitated by psychotherapist Yema Ferreira, you will be given the opportunity to process some of the feelings, thoughts and experiences you have been grappling with during this pandemic.

NOTE: This session will not be recorded ensuring we have a private and safe space for healing.

Yema Ferreira’s Bio:

Yema Ferreira is an Angolan healer trained as a psychotherapist. Her mission is to assist in the liberation of Black and African people all over the world through the healing of the collective trauma caused by slavery, colonization, and neo-colonialism. She runs a private practice from Copenhagen, where she is currently based, providing culturally sensitive psychotherapy and healing workshops to black women looking to redefine their identities and embrace their cultural heritage. She sees clients online internationally and face to face in Copenhagen.

Registration is required and limited to 50 participants.

Start Writing Your Life Story in Just 15 Minutes a Day: LET’S DO US! Workshop Series June 2, 2020

You are invited to join a two-hour writing workshop with author Carolyn van Es-Vines during the LET’S DO US! series created by Black Women in Europe (®) to be a part of our solution for surviving and thriving in these uncertain COVID-19 days, weeks, and months.

Join author Carolyn van Es-Vines for an exclusive 2-hour online writing workshop on June 2, 2020 at 9 am Amsterdam time.

Carolyn van Es-Vines is the author of black and (A)broad: traveling beyond the limitations of identity, her life story that was published in 2010.

She holds a Master’s degree in Latin American literature from the University of Maryland in the US. She left her career in academia to focus on her young family and to develop her writing skills. She ran an award-winning blog called Black and Abroad, wrote for The Local Expat, a newspaper in The Hague, and regularly contributes articles for the well-being section of ACCESS, a Dutch-based magazine for expats.


Carolyn has qualified as a Certified Professional Life Coach. As part of her coaching model she has developed a life-story writing program to help her clients reflect on where they come from and most importantly how that impacts where they are right now. She has led many workshops on life-story writing in companies like ACCESS The Hague and Shell Outpost.


Carolyn was raised in the US and has lived in the Netherlands for over twenty years with her Dutch husband. Together they have two daughters, one son, two cats, and five chickens. In her spare time she likes working out, playing the piano, and is wild about her Happy Planner!

Registration for her two hour workshop is required and is limited to 100 participants.

Puccini and the Beauty Within Two Imperfectly Perfect Heroines: LET’S DO US! Presentation and Concert June 1, 2020

You are invited to join a very special evening with Opera Soprano Kristin Lewis during the LET’S DO US! series created by Black Women in Europe (®) to be a part of our solution for surviving and thriving in these uncertain COVID-19 days, weeks and months.

Join us on June 1, 2020 at 7 pm Austria time.

One of our Power Listers!

Kristin is creating a special evening just for us. Here is why I’m so excited:

Kristin Lewis, a lyrico-spinto soprano, has graced the stages of many of the world’s leading opera houses. Noted for her well-focused, majestic sound, rich in overtones and rare blend of piano culture, she has been directed by and among the most illustrious conductors.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas/USA, Ms. Lewis grew up in a musical family, and began singing and performing at an early age. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Central Arkansas under the guidance of Dr. Martha Antolik and a Masters of Music degree while studying with Kay Paschal and Andrew Wentzel from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Post graduate study was endeavored under the tutelage of Dr. Jonathan Retzlaff, and currently with Carol Byers.

Read her full bio, philanthropy, and long list of achievements and awards on her website.

How to use communication in these times of crisis: LET’S DO US! Workshop May 26

You are invited to join the fifth workshop in the LET’S DO US! series created by Black Women in Europe (®) to be a part of our solution for surviving and thriving in these uncertain COVID-19 days, weeks and months.

Beatrice Ngalula Kabutakapua is a storytelling coach on a  mission to help ambitious entrepreneurs leverage the power of storytelling to be more visible, give back to the community and make dreams come true. 

Registration is required to secure your place for the 45 minutes workshop and is limited to 100 people.

Canceled: Black Women Meditate: LET’S DO US! Workshop May 19

We hope to reschedule and will have additional meditation workshops in June.

We hope to reschedule and will have additional meditation workshops in June.

You are invited to join the third workshop in the LET’S DO US! series created by Black Women in Europe (®) to be a part of our solution for surviving and thriving in these uncertain COVID-19 days, weeks, and months.
Black Women Meditate

Marilyn Grando was born in ’77 in the post-colonial Netherlands to two loving parents from Surinam. After having completed college and worked in predominantly white corporate spaces, she realized there is not only a glass ceiling for women but an even lower one specifically for black people. One that no one speaks about. After a traumatic personal experience, she turned to meditation and followed several intense retreats. To better herself, she realized she had to turn inward, not look for external factors to reach certain goals. She soon realized there were little to no people who looked like her in the retreats she visited. In the following 9 years, she met 2 other black people during those retreats. This seemed strange to her. As all meditative and spiritual knowledge as the Western world now consumes it, originated from Africa. Meditation had a profound effect on her and her way of thinking. And this knowledge can best be passed on to others who look exactly like her with the same experiences and subjected to the same social stress (and pleasure) factors. Hence Black Women Meditate was born.
 
Within Black Women Meditate women learn to meditate with like-minded ladies in a safe environment for them and thus support their mental and physical health. Black Women Meditate strengthens the black community from within. After all, there are clear mental health benefits for black people in a mostly white environment, who spend time with people who look just like them. And that is why we need Black Women Meditate. 

Description of the meditation Q&A:

During this Q&A, all attendees can ask me all sorts of questions concerning their meditation practice. If you are an experienced Meditator and if you are starting to meditate. I am in no way “enlightened”, but I hope to be able to answer your questions on how to meditate or how to integrate meditation more into your daily life. 

Description of the workshop:

During the workshop, we will focus on breath and awareness. With these two anchors, we will train our brain to focus on ourselves and be aware of our physical presence during the meditation. We’ll start at 8.00 o’clock CET and meditate together for approximately 35 minutes, and then be on our way to start our day in a positive, easy and confident manner. 

Registration is required to ensure your place for the 45 minutes workshop. Limited to 100 participants.

Kids Acting: LET’S DO US! Workshop May 16

You are invited to join the second workshop in the LET’S DO US! series created by Black Women in Europe (®) to be a part of our solution for surviving and thriving in these uncertain COVID-19 days, weeks, and months.

Rhoda Wilson

Rhoda Wilson is a creator, producer, and director well respected in Nollywood UK. In 2019, Rhoda produced her third Christmas movie; Christmas In London which was successfully premiered in November 2019, London. In 2018, Rhoda produced and directed her second Christmas movie for children; The Christmas Gift and was a hit with the Children when it premiered in November 2018 followed by theatrical releases in London and Birmingham. She was the director and one of the executive producers of Miracles of the Christmas Angels which had a successful and well-attended premiere in November 2017 at the Vue Cinema in Westfield Stratford. Both productions, from pre-production to delivery took an average of 13 months.
Rhoda also created and was the executive producer of the successful TV series Housewives & Girlfriends which debuted on Africa Magic urban channel 153 in 2015 and in 2018 went global on Amazon Prime. Housewives & Girlfriends is a 30-minute drama series with comical undertones set in London, UK.  Season 1 took 18 months to complete whilst a shorter period was achieved for Season 2. In 2019, she embarked on her second Tv Series, which was created by her, House Share about a group of tenants and is under production. Read Rhoda’s full bio and list of accomplishments.

Happy kids from a previous workshop.

Registration is required to ensure your place for the 1 hour workshop. Limited to 25 participants. Presents will be awarded!

Parents pleased with Rhoda’s kids acting workshop.