Sapphire – Bright Star for Women in Need

Seeing New York Times best selling author Sapphire at yesterday’s United Way Women’s Leadership Luncheon, renewed my belief that one woman can make a difference.

Bright, passionate and honest, Sapphire gave an amazing keynote address that touched on her experiences from living and teaching school in Harlem in the 1980s. Her novel, Push – which draws on this time – inspired the recent Oscar-winning film, Precious.

The book and film tell the story of Claireece “Precious” Jones, an overweight teenager who overcomes poverty, AIDS and other seemingly insurmountable problems to create a better life.

Oprah, who co-produced the film, said, “None of us who see the movie can now walk through the world and allow the Preciouses of the world to be invisible.”

Sapphire talked candidly about incest, illiteracy, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, AIDS and other tragedies endured by her students, whose stories she said “broke open the seeds of the world.”

Though difficult to talk – and write – about, Sapphire said she was compelled to write Push, in part, to break the code of silence and create change.

“As a teacher and an artist, I took it upon myself to tell the stories of what I saw,” Sapphire said. “I owed it to my precious students who were pushing daily to survive.”

Describing education as “transformational,” she urged everyone to work together to help women, particularly young girls, succeed. “We know that 90% of poor women on welfare are able to earn a living wage within two years of completing college,” Sapphire said.

Many in the room were visibly moved by Sapphire’s words, which concluded with a heartfelt message about women’s ability to influence change. Deflecting applause, she said, “I clap for you. I clap for the solutions you are creating. I clap for the work you’re doing every day.”

Call it a halo effect, but the work we do here at United Way – seems just a little more meaningful.

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Mary D'Ottavio works in Heart of Florida United Way's Marketing Department.