“Live a storied life. Even in the structure of managing your career, do exciting things; embrace them into your work and career. You’ll grow faster, further, and fiercer.”
– Raye Mitchell
Who needs a hero when we have a She-hero!
In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on empowering women. Women must have a sense of self-worth, confidence, and the ability to make choices. Gender-based classifications are unjustified and do not hold any value. Despite this, women are still paid less, expected to take on domestic duties, and subjected to restrictions imposed by family members. Empowerment is essential to address these issues and enable women to play an independent role in society.
As a matter of fact, life is hard for women and harder for women of color. They face systemic racial discrimination, workplace inequity, and sometimes physical and emotional violence. To raise awareness and empower women of color, Dr. Raye Mitchell launched a project entitled G.U.R.L.S. (Growth, Unity, Respect, Leadership, and Success) under the banner of her foundation, “IC Hope: The Making a New Reality.” The project is intended to take a global initiative to empower young black women. G.U.R.L.S. empowers women of color by polishing their leadership skills and enabling them to voice their opinions. With this project, Mitchell aims to create a better world for them. Mitchell expressed her gratitude by quoting:
“It’s a big deal. It is a game changer for girls of color and a journey toward a 2012 global leadership summit to be held in Washington, D.C. It will be the first global summit about, by and for girls of color.”
The project G.U.R.LS. was wonderfully launched in Oakland, CA, with the first-ever G.U.R.L.S. Rock Summit. The summit aimed to provide girls of color with unprecedented opportunities, such as teaming up with acclaimed writers of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, a diverse array of Learning Centers devoted to areas like S.T.E.M., entrepreneurship, healthy living, and entertainment and new media. Project G.U.R.L.S. aspires to organize more G.U.R.L.S. Rock Summits throughout the country.
Mitchell is a multifaceted individual with business, marketing, and branding expertise in the entertainment and legal industries. She has led her own law firm and related corporate enterprises, and in 2007, she became a social entrepreneur to support women and girls. Recently, Mitchell collaborated with Hill Harper, a renowned actor and New York Times bestselling author, and Lisa Jones Johnson, a media and entertainment executive, to expand her community service efforts. In addition to her humanitarian and social entrepreneurship work, she is an innovation expert, published author, and public speaker in entertainment, pop culture, leadership, crowdfunding, and change leadership.
Before attending Harvard Law School, Mitchell’s professional background included working at esteemed companies such as General Mills, R.J.R. Nabisco, The Gillette Company, and the Colgate Palmolive Company. She is a Los Angeles native who attended school in the city and was selected by the University of Southern California for its Resident Honors Program, earning a B.S. in Public Policy from U.S.C. Sol Price School of Public Policy, an M.B.A. from U.S.C. Marshall School of Business, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Mitchell has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to her community through various awards and honors, such as The Charles Hamilton Houston Bar Association Benjamin Travis Community Service Award in 2012, the K.Q.E.D./Wells Fargo Bank Public Media Women’s History Month Local Hero award in 2012, the Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment’s Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2011, and the Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2011.
In conclusion, women’s empowerment is essential to create a better world for women, especially women of color who face systemic discrimination. The G.U.R.L.S. project initiated by Dr. Raye Mitchell is a significant step towards empowering young black women and polishing their leadership skills. By providing unprecedented opportunities through G.U.R.L.S. Rock Summit, Mitchell aims to enable girls of color to voice their opinions, grow faster, further, and be fiercer. Mitchell’s outstanding contributions to her community through various awards and honors, along with her business, marketing, and branding expertise, make her a role model for women aspiring to make a difference in their communities.
