Join as a member or donate. Your ticket awaits.

     When invited to join Sister-to-Sister, Inc., some Sisters respond that they don't like to be a part of groups. Others describe horrible experiences participating in women's orgs. Still others indicate that they don't have time for "meetings or additional demands" that will usually accompany membership. All lack an understanding of Sister-to-Sister, Inc., its vision, mission, purpose, and core values. First, our Sister Circle differs. It's a "no drama" gathering of women, who wish a place of belonging with no strings attached. There are absolutely no obligations, other than to present as authentic and care about why Sister-to-Sister, Inc. exists - to advance Black females, who, in turn, advances society as a whole. We are caregivers tackling with gusto passion any obligations to which we commit ourselves. Our Sister Circle does not "meet." We gather to support and uplift.

     Understanding that you may not wish to attend gatherings or accept any other offered benefits., give monetarily because you care about the well-being of onyx women and girls. There are two ways that you can help.  Join as a paid member for just $25.00, annually. Alternatively, if you'd rather donate, use the "Donate" button on our website to give whatever you choose. Both options will help move Sister-to-Sister, Inc.'s mission forward and  support programming. We expect that you'll feel rewarded in taking the step.

 Thank You,

Sisters Joette Bailey Keown and Rhonda Wallen!

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     "Phenomenal" best describes our July gathering! The immensely gorgeous Denver Botanical Gardens tour planned by Sister Joette created the perfect escape after a busy workweek for many of us Sisters. Hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and delightful comradery at the home of Sister Rhonda will top off an afternoon of pure fun!

 August Sister-to-Sister, Inc. Gathering 

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 Let's Zumba!

Sister Feature, Camille Moore Makes History!

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     Sister Camille Moore, a rising third-year student, has made history by becoming the first-ever Black Student Body President of the Sturm College of Law, University of Denver ("DU"), a private institution founded in 1892! Originally from Denver, Colorado, Sister Camille graduated from Denver East High School where she played varsity lacrosse. She then attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she graduated with Bachelor degrees in political science and ethnic studies. After graduating college, Camille canvassed for several organizations in pursuit of substantive change. She then underwent three consecutive major surgeries to assure she could attend law school at Denver University.

     Since beginning her law school career in 2020, Sister Camille’s passion for community advocacy has led her to serve as President of the Black Law Students Association and externing in the community engagement unit of the Office of the Colorado Attorney General. She is working as a legal intern at the ACLU of Colorado this summer.  After completing this summer program, she will spend the fall semester working in the Denver office of Lewis Brisbois, LLC. During her final year in law school beginning in Septembe3r, Camille will serve as the first Black President of the DU Student Bar Association.  Her overall career aspiration is to become Colorado’s first Black U.S Senator. We are so proud of you our Sister! Continue rising!

 The Best Thing About Memories Is Making Them 

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     We are pleased to share special travel memories, from Sister Dianne Fisher, on her recent Sisters Trip to Sedona, Arizona, and her visit to France's Champagne region. 

Black Women Leading the Way

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Sources: BlackDemographics.com and Catalyst

     Did you know one in five Americans is a Woman of Color? According to the 2019 research survey by Catalyst, women of color comprised 20.3% of the United States population in 2019, an increase from 18.4% in 2010. It is predicted that women of color will represent the majority of all women in the U.S. by 2060.

     So where does that leave Black women? Well, in 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the Black female population in the country was 21.7 million that year. This makes up 52% of the total Black population as Black males make up 48% of the Black population. It is no secret that Black women are also leading the way as it pertains to closing the education gap when it comes to college degrees. About 24% of Black women have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 33% of all women. For Black men, it’s 19% to 32% for all men. And to no surprise, the U.S. Census Bureau also reported in 2018 that Black women are the head of 27% of all Black households, which is more than twice the rate for all women at 12%. This may also explain why Black women are becoming more represented in the workforce compared to all women.

     Stress can affect many parts of our lives. It can affect our work, our relationships, our performance, and our health. The first signs of stress usually start in the mind and are exhibited through your emotions. Sometimes we recognize the early warning signs of stress and sometimes we do not. Here are some signs that you need to de stress your mind:

• Forgetting things you normally would not forget

• Inability to focus on things you enjoy, like a movie or conversation with a friend

• Waking up in the middle of the night thinking of everything that you need to do the next day

• Isolating yourself because you are so desperate for peace and quiet

• Procrastinating on completing tasks

• Becoming involved in conflicts with others

• Feeling overwhelmed and helpless

Ignoring the signs that you need to de-stress your mind will only make things worse. Here are three time-tested, clinically proven ways to de stress your mind.

Visualization

     Have you ever noticed that when you tell a story about something that upset you or made you angry that the retelling of it makes you experience those emotions all over again? Well, the opposite is true as well. Imagining something peaceful or something that makes you happy can make you experience those emotions as well. Your body reacts to whatever is happening in your mind regardless of what is happening in reality. This is how movies evoke reactions in us. You can be safe and comfortable in a chair and feel tension and fright while watching a horror movie. Your body reacts along the same lines.

     Visualization helps you to de-stress your mind because you are literally putting your mind on vacation. It also has a side benefit of relaxing your body because it activates the relaxation system of your body. Visualization has been used with athletes to enhance their performance and it has been used with executives to enhance their public speaking ability. Visualization has been called guided imagery because you can visualize anything you want. Your imagination is limitless. So you can focus on healing and relaxing or you can focus on having an adventure. 

     It does not take long to visualize but it might take a while to learn to focus on your visualization without being distracted by other thoughts. Some people find that creating an audio recording of a scene to visualize and then playing it back while they sit comfortably in a quiet space with their eyes closed makes it easier to visualize. Needless to say, because visualization requires you to close your eyes and focus, you should set time aside to do this and not visualize while driving or doing anything else that requires your attention.

Examining self-talk

     Have you ever noticed that two people can experience the same thing and feel differently about it? This is because the relationship between feelings and events are controlled by our beliefs about the event. Albert Ellis, a prominent psychotherapist, developed a way for people to control their emotions by showing them how to control their minds. His basic premise was that emotions had nothing to do with the actual event, but with the self-talk we engage in almost unconsciously about the event. 

     For example, let’s take an event such as traffic. One person’s self-talk may sound like, “This traffic is wasting my time. I’m going to be late and that gossip in the office is going to start talking about me and convincing everyone that I’m lazy. I need everyone to see me as competent, always on my game and better than her.” Another person’s self-talk may sound like, “This traffic is wasting my time. No, it’s not. Let me make a list of what I really need to get done today so that I don’t waste time on things that can wait. I bet a couple of other people may be late getting into the office too. For sure, all these other people on the road with me will be. Ha, maybe that gossip in the office will be late too.” 

     Do you think these two people are experiencing the same stress regarding traffic? Probably not. The first person is clearly more stressed than the second. They are both stuck in traffic and in danger of being late for work. The difference in their experience is their self-talk.

     Because self-talk is so instantaneous, it may take a while for you to catch yourself. One way to start is by becoming more aware of your emotions and asking yourself what thoughts might have been going through your mind right before you began experiencing those emotions. And then change your self-talk to something accurate and less stress provoking.

Meditation

     The third way to de stress your mind is through meditation. Whereas visualization is about taking your mind on vacation and examining your self-talk is about directly confronting the source of your stressful emotions, meditation falls in the middle. Meditation allows your mind to be just as it is. There are many forms of meditation, but a simple, easy to learn and easy to practice form of meditation can be found in the book The Art of Loving Life. You simply find a quiet space where you will be undisturbed for about 15 minutes, sit comfortably with your eyes closed, and watch your thoughts. You are not directing your thoughts in any particular direction like you do with visualization. You are also not actively trying to change your thoughts as you would when examining your self-talk. You are simply being an observer of your thoughts without interfering in which thoughts come into your mind. And you are not interfering with thoughts leaving your mind. In other words, let the thoughts come and go. They will be replaced by other thoughts without any effort on your part. 

     After 15 minutes, you may notice a pattern in your thoughts. Maybe your thoughts are centered around worrying about something. Maybe your thoughts are about the past or about the future. You may notice that you continue to return to a certain thought. With regular practice of this type of meditation, you will notice an overall lowering of your level of stress. This is because this type of meditation allows you to experience your thoughts from the passive state of an observer rather than the active state of experiencing the emotions that are usually attached to those thoughts.

     Although exercise, breathing and massage are great for reducing stress, sometimes we need to target our minds directly. Try these three ways to de stress your mind and see how they work for you.

About the Author: Sandra Thébaud, PhD has been a Clinical Psychologist for over 25 years. She is also an author, speaker and stress management trainer. For more information, visit www.linkedin.com/in/sandrathebaudphd.

"Food for Thought" Blog

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 By Teri Sewell Huff

     Per the Mayo Clinic, there are four cardinal signs of inflammation, including heat, pain, redness, and swelling. While there are many potential causes of inflammation, diet is thought to be one of the most important factors. This month, Sister Teri Sewell Huff, Sister-to-Sister, Inc.'s Health and Wellness Expert, helps us understand how herbs help reduce inflammation.

Let's stay healthy! 

Join us for the Sister-to-Sister, Inc. Wellness Walk on August 7th, hosted by Sister Teri Sewell Huff.

Message from Sister Teri:

     As some of you may know, I am a walking moving leader in Denver. Walking is a form of selfcare. I would like to invite you out for the Sister-to-Sister, Inc. Meet and Greet Walk at Washington Park on Sunday, August 7, 2022 @ 2:30 p.m. You can reach out to me for more details. Please friend me and message me on Facebook if you are interested in the walk.

Prize Drawing:

Note:  For Sisters living outside the area, we invite you to grab a Sister friend or two, your water bottle, sunscreen, and a hat and walk on next Sunday afternoon. Email us with the number of miles walked, along with your name and contact info.  Your names will be entered into a drawing for a special prize.

It's Hot Outside!

What's Better Than A Refreshing Drink?

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     Whether you are planning your own cookout or attending an affair, make sure they remember you. Come prepared with the perfect most refreshing summer drink – Uncle’s Garden! Compliments of Black woman owned and operated whiskey brand, Uncle Nearest 1856. 

Attorneys are expensive! Some states allow legal paraprofessions to provide llimited egal services.

     Colorado currently does not license paralegals or other legal paraprofessionals, but that could change in the near future. After approving a preliminary report recommending that Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals (LLPs) be allowed to provide limited legal services in certain types of domestic relations cases, the Colorado Supreme Court requested that its Advisory Committee develop an implementation plan, now out for public comment.  Other jurisdictions, including Utah, Arizona and Washington, already have similar programs to license paralegals or legal paraprofessionals with enhanced skills in limited legal practice areas.  

     Sister-to-Sister, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (TAX-ID 85-1053563), is an alliance of Black women dedicated to enhancing the resiliency of ebony females through comradery, connectivity, education and nurturing. Your tax-deductible support will globally impact and enhance their lives and, thus, their communities.