Choose to Awaken with the WUE Nation!

On March 29, 2020, Spirit of A Woman, LLC, launched the Wake Up Everybody (WUE) Virtual series in partnership with community healers, thought leaders, coaches, medical and mental health professionals, educators and artists from across the nation. WUE was created to provide community members, from across the country and abroad, with an opportunity to keep their mental, emotional,  physical and spiritual well beings balanced and whole as they navigated the impact of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 global health crisis. 

WUE was  originally designed as a 30 day offering that would provide “temporary” covering and support for participants until the quarantine period ended, however, the producers and community members quickly realized that the WUE journey would last much longer than they originally anticipated. 

The series was created by Shawnee Benton Gibson, CEO, of Spirit of A Woman (SOW) Leadership Development Institute, who was inspired by the lyrics of the song  “Wake Up Everybody” by Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. The song, which was popular in the 70s, speaks of issues that we are still glaringly relevant today; (racism, war, poverty, sickness, political strife, corruption, etc). The WUE Virtual series was designed to “WAKE UP” the masses by providing empowering messaging, holistic healing tools, guidance for daily living and strategies for addressing the injustices, pain and imbalance that exists in the world. 

All of the “Wake Up Everybody” sessions take place 5 days a week (every Sunday, Tuesday, & Thursday from 7:00am - 8:30am EST and every Monday and Wednesday from 7:00am -7:30am EST.) over Zoom and Facebook Live. Every session is facilitated by powerful and prolific presenters from various backgrounds and areas of discipline. Each facilitator guides participants through an interactive experience that fosters education, conversation, new insights, empowerment  and expansion. 

The WUE Family invites you to join our phenomenal community so that you can share, heal and grow as part of the collective. You are free to join as a community participant, as a session facilitator and/or a member of the admin team to support the magic that happens behind the scenes. We hope to hear from you. 

Sunday, March 30th - "Let’s Get Serious: Legal Misinformation"

Facilitated By: Ndome Yvonne Essoka Esq., MPH

This session will help you see through the smoke and mirrors of this current administration’s executive orders and policies to help you understand what is actually happening in this country with a reproductive justice context. 

Through a reproductive justice lens, this session will:

• Break down recent executive orders and policies to uncover what’s really being said (and what’s being hidden)

• Address how misinformation and legal manipulation are being used to strip away rights and confuse the public

• Teach you how to independently research and track legislation and bills—no law degree required

• Empower you with tools to stay informed, get engaged, and hold lawmakers accountable

   

Monday,  March 31st - "Celebration!" 

Facilitated By: Teresa Lorraine Scott

This uplifting and interactive session is an invitation to pause, reflect, and celebrate the brilliance within you. Too often, we move from one achievement to the next without taking the time to honor how far we've come. This session is a joyful reclamation of our power, purpose, and personal milestones—big and small. 

Tune in as we explore the importance of intentional celebration as a tool for self-love, motivation, and healing, discover 20 creative ways to honor our growth, our gifts, and our journies, and identify personal moments that deserve celebration and learn how to ritualize them meaningfully.

Whether you’re in a season of blooming or rebuilding, this session is your reminder that you are worthy of celebration—right now!

Tuesday, April 1st - "Bagging the Brand Sponsoring Your Events Through Strategic Partnerships"

Facilitated By: Athenia Rodney

This session designed to help leaders shift from asking for funding to building mutually beneficial partnerships that align with your mission and amplify your impact.

You’ll learn how to:

• Identify brands that align with your values and audience

• Leverage your existing community and data to show your worth

• Build long-term relationships instead of one-time sponsorships

• Show your value, build trust, and create aligned collaborations that last

Whether you’re planning a conference, retreat, or community initiative, this session will equip you with tools, templates, and the confidence to bag the brand and fund your vision with intention.

Wednesday, April 2nd - "It’s World Autism Awareness Day! Do You Know What Autism Is?"

Facilitated By: Stacy McLean

Join us as we deepen our awareness and understanding of Autism. Together, we will inquire, discover, share, and learn about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), its characteristics, and how we can become active supporters of Autism Awareness and Acceptance.

Thursday, April 2nd - "TBD"

Facilitated By: Meika Joseph

TBD

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Ndome Yvonne Essoka Esq., MPH is a Staff Attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) and a former Equal Justice Works (EJW) Fellow sponsored by Covington & Burling LLP and Merck. & Co. Inc. Her work focuses on developing impact litigation, analyzing bills, identifying specific legal frameworks that facilitate access to midwifery care as well as those that create unnecessary barriers to care, and holding the U.S. government accountable for human rights obligations related to maternal health in collaboration and consultation with the U.S. Human Rights Team, the U.S. Litigation Program, midwives, and birthing people. Ndome graduated from William & Mary Law School in May of 2021 where she received the ABA-BNA award for Excellence in Health Law. Before her law school career, Ndome received her Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) from Rutgers University in May of 2016. After graduate school, she worked at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary Health (OASH) in the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) as an ORISE Fellow from 2016 – 2018 in Washington D.C. There she led the Diabetes Federal Interagency Workgroup (FIW) as part of the National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event (ADE) Prevention, and the Taskforce for the National Clinic Care Commission (NCCC). Prior to graduate school, Ndome graduated from Stony Brook University in May of 2012 with a B.S. in Health Sciences. She has also been a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. since 2010.

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Like a Blow Pop—Teresa Lorraine Scott is tough on the outside, but soft, chewy, and full of goodness on the inside. She's like a Sweet Tart—sweet with a little sour, depending on the day. Teresa's a Baby Ruth—rich, chocolatey, and just the right amount of nutty yet like a wintergreen Lifesaver, she's helped save a few lives along the way.

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Athenia Rodney is the Founder and CEO of Umoja Events, a female-owned corporate events logistics planning company based in Brooklyn, NY, and organizer of the flagship event annually known as Juneteenth NYC Festival and Summit. Umoja Events is a MWBE business and focuses on partnerships with city agencies. Athenia has a passion for travel which has led her to start Rodney Tribe Travel and Tours where she offers group travel for weddings and retreats. 

Athenia a wife, mother of 3 holds many positions in the New York City community of Brooklyn where she is currently a chair on the Family Advisory Board of United For Brownsville, an Ambassador for Brownsville Sentiment, Board member at Brookdale Hospital One Brooklyn Health, Co-chair for “Moms Who Lead With Love” a virtual advocacy support group and organizer and founder of the 13th Annual Juneteenth NYC Summit and Nationally recognized Festival. 

One of Athenia’s inspiration is her mother. Growing up in Brooklyn, Athenia’s mother faced barriers to participation as an immigrant in the educational system and that has fueled her ambassadorship with education not only for herself and family but also for others who do not have a voice. Athenia learned how critical it was to be able to access an equitable education, and recognized that the pandemic meant a gap in educational services and childhood development. Athenia acted fast with the help of her peers to put support in place for community members to improve the education, health, and wellbeing of families. 

Among other accolades, Athenia has mentored youth, married couples, and entrepreneurs to achieve their greatest potential.

Athenia, a psychology graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont and a long time lover of education continues to take certificate programs and add to her long list of recognitions that are way too many to mention here. 

Lastly, Athenia was recognized by The Robin Hood Foundation in 2020 as a New York Hero recipient for the work done with United for Brownsville. In addition, Athenia received an Entrepreneur of the Year award from New York City for her amazing organization of the NYC Juneteenth event for 12 years running and her superb outreach work with the community.

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Stacy McLean A.K.A Yogisha Certified Yoga Instructor, Certified Pranic Healer and Lifestyle Coach has been practicing yoga since 2008 and teaching since 2012, graduating with the inaugural Celebrating the Call Training under Catherine Calderon. Stacy is a Certified Pranic Healer and has been practicing since 2015 under the tutelage and leadership of Master Jeffrey V. Noble, founder of the Noble Touch Healers. Stacy is passionate about empowering individuals through transformational coaching and healing techniques. Stacy is mother to a beautiful young man named Joshua who is Autistic and is thriving! Which is a large part of following her life path as a healer and advocate for parents who have children with Autism/special needs.

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Meika Joseph has been a Professional and Personal Performance Coach for over 12 years. Today, she is a THOUGHT HEALER. She co-owns a wellness studio in Brooklyn called, The Crystal Raven. As a thought healer, she heals the thoughts that dominant the mind and creates unwanted habits. She works with clients to turn their thoughts into Reality and give them power to create a new vision of life. Through her methods, she has guided hundreds of people to successfully break through otherwise impenetrable barriers in their professional and personal lives. Her experiences include: training and developing individuals to use tools that will interrupt thoughts on their own. Her clients range from parents, entrepreneurs, to CEOs. She has a profound commitment that all of humanity experiences the freedom, power, and clarity to be successful and fulfilled in their lives, to enjoy the ripple effect a new vision has on their families, work, personal creativity and communities.