Erma Elzy, former MAWC board member, MAWC board president Judy Card and Gwen Turner, YWCA shelter coordinator, at the Sip and Celebrate party on the rooftop of Playhouse on the Square. 

CELEBRATIONS OF ACTIVISM, WOMEN’S HISTORY AND THE VOTE!

Thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday to sip and celebrate in honor of 40 years of Women of Achievement and 20 years of the Memphis Area Women’s Council!

The weather could not have been more gorgeous on the Playhouse on the Square rooftop, the sunset was spectacular, the Pink Flamingo food was delicious and Muddy’s five cakes topped it all off!

Our elderflower-based Golden Years Spritz and Women’s Power Punch MAWCtail kept the party humming. Guests cheered as numbers were drawn for door prizes from multiple women-owned and -operated enterprises including Burke’s Books, Cheers, Elmwood Cemetery, Hands of Mothers Rwanda, Huey’s, Jeanne Reynolds’ Studio, Maggie’s Pharm, Makeda’s Cookies, Muddy’s Bake Shop, Paradox at Peco, Sundara Wellness Center, Thistle and Bee and Women of Achievement.

The party was sponsored by MAWC co-founder Ruby Bright and Edith Kelly-Green, both Women of Achievement honorees. Other party donors were Dr. Carol Danehower, past MAWC board president and a WA honoree; MAWC board treasurer and WA honoree Bettye Boone; George Larrimore, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Memphis Chapter and Misty Rosser-White with State Farm.

The current board vowed to continue the work of speaking up and our for women and girls and fostering Women of Achievement as it continues to honor and archive women’s work and community leadership.

Dr. Mollie Anderson (second from left, back row), associate professor of teaching in the Psychology Department, University of Memphis, brought a large group of young women to the Sip and Celebrate party to memorialize her mother’s impact on her life and to honor “the amazing work that the Memphis Area Women’s Council has done on behalf of so many women seen and unseen.” 

WA honorees at the party

Women of Achievement has honored 278 individuals and three groups since 1985. Honorees at the Sip and Celebrate party included Bettye Boone, Theresa Okwumabua, Rebecca Edwards, Jocie Wurzburg, Maxine Strawder, Audrey May, Judy Card and Deborah Clubb. Present but not pictured was Ellen Rolfes.

Women’s Council leadership at the Sip and Celebrate party were (front row) Carla Kirkland, Catherine Turner, Haley Graham, (back row) Deborah Clubb, Judy Card, Glenda Moses, Julianna Daniel, Bettye Boone and Tyra Turner-Cleasant.

WOMEN VOTE EARLY CAMPAIGN EMPHASIZES CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF VOTING IN 2024

Women rallied to encourage early voting at a press conference Saturday Oct. 19 organized by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and the Memphis Area Women’s Council. The Women Vote Early campaign provides yard signs and information cards with early voting sites to promote early voting which continues in Memphis through Oct. 31.

Deborah Clubb, executive director of the Memphis Area Women’s Council; Bettye Boone, rally leader and MAWC board treasurer; Shelly Hewlett and Peg Watkins, League of Women Voters of Memphis and Shelby County at the 2024 Women Vote Early rally.