Terrebonne Booking Log: 11/04/2020
November 4, 2020
‘Unclaimed Property is your money. Claim it!’: La. State Treasurer on voters favoring Unclaimed Property Trust Fund
November 4, 2020
This Saturday at Fletcher Technical Community College, local women will gather for an event centered on the “Three E’s”: encouragement, education and empowerment.
Organizers Cherry and Sherry Wilmore, also known as “Everybody’s Favorite Twins,” are presenting the Sista, Sister Women’s Brunch, their networking event for women of all backgrounds.
The twins, who host the above-mentioned popular social media blog, said it’s important to raise women’s voices in society while also making sure they remain united to uplift each other.
“Sometimes it takes a woman to speak to a woman; it takes a woman to understand the psyche of a woman, the mental gymnastics that you sometimes do,” Sherry said. “Sometimes it takes a woman to uplift you — to just tell you, ‘Hey, you did a beautiful job. You did great.’”
The panelists for the event include Arlanda Williams, Vice-Chancellor for Workforce Development and Technical Education/Institutional Advancement at Delgado Community College and former Terrebonne Parish councilwoman; Dr. Kristine Strickland, Chancellor of Fletcher; Dr. Tracy Reed, a licensed professional counselor; and Dr. Elena Mann, obstetrics and gynecology specialist (OB-GYN).
“We wanted a group of women who were diverse, not just in color but in background,” said Sherry, who also shared she and her sister admire each of the local influencers.
“And we wanted women who have knowledge and insight and who are open to sharing that insight and knowledge to other women to motivate them and keep them going — to fuel and rejuvenate them,” Cherry added.
The distinguished group will lead discussions on balancing work and family, keys to success, physical and mental health and self-love, among other topics.
“We want our audience to be engaged; we want our audience to feel like they are part of the moment. We don’t want anyone to feel like anyone is unreachable,” Sherry said. “We want our audience to share. We want it to be a very intimate and personable experience.”
Scheduled to share her story is Dr. K. Renee Horton, a NASA engineer and scientist who will be the keynote speaker at the Sista, Sister Women’s Brunch. The Baton Rouge native lost her hearing as a teenager but that didn’t stop her from accomplishing great feats — such as becoming a published author, creating a nonprofit for advocacy and mentoring in STEM, being elected President of the National Society of Black Physicists and receiving numerous awards for her work.
Cherry and Sherry noted that they invited all of the “movers and shakers” to also learn how they overcame the challenges they faced along the path to becoming successful.
“Before they were doctors, they were young women — women who had ideas and plans. And they may have faltered, and they may not have done everything right,” Sherry said. “But what did they do to correct those wrongs?”
Taking place in November, the event will also highlight Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which hits close to home for Cherry and Sherry.
The twins, who shared their story for Point of Vue, grew up in foster care. Their foster mother, Louise Wallace, died of lung cancer in 2019. They plan to celebrate and honor their mom at the event.
“She would be proud that her girls got a group of women together to have a conversation, to talk about experiences,” Sherry said.
Aiming to make the brunch or similar meal events a recurring occasion featuring other themes, the twins are using a portion of the proceeds from the gatherings for causes near to them, such as foster care and struggling working-class families.
“It’s always important that we serve the community and that we bridge the community,” Sherry shared.
Catered by Quizine Quarters and Big Mike’s BBQ Smokehouse, the brunch will also offer great food, including beef brisket, southern fried fish and chicken, scrambled eggs and bread pudding, among other appetizing dishes.
The event will take place in Fletcher Ballroom, Room 217 on Saturday, November 7, and run from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 a person and can be purchased here.
“I want every woman to walk out of there and feel like she spent the best two hours of her life at this event and grew and learned from it,” Sherry said. “And I want each woman to walk away from this event with a takeaway of being kinder to the next woman.”
“I want every woman to take something away from this event that helps sustain them, grow them to the next level and gain some more insight and depth into who they are,” Cherry said.
