Making a Black Future: The Power of One
Recognizing the Powerful Impact of Dawn Sutherland
Bridge-To-Africa Connection, LLC
Dawn Sutherland approaches each day as a new “Dawn”-ing. Her passion showed from a young age, as she academically excelled and grew her love for the African Diaspora and arts.
Dawn completed a 32-year career with XEROX CORPORATION where she worked from the USA to Guam, to England. She spent the last 10 years of her career as Vice President of Finance for the Western United States providing financial leadership. Her financial expertise was instrumental in creating strategic business models that grew market share, increased brand awareness and yielded year over year growth. Fondly, she was known for managing from the heart, managing change and building teams which delivered results.
Dawn hung up her corporate coat January 2014 to focus on her passion, Africa, and now lives in Ghana. Characteristically, she hit the ground running as the key orchestrator for the 2014 RESTORE Medical Mission where medical doctors and lay volunteers from the USA came to Ghana to perform reconstructive surgery. This invaluable cause provided new hope for those who had none.
Dawn’s energy in Ghana has been tireless. A true lover of culture and art, she devotes time in the building and developing of a culture center; a much-needed medical clinic in the Fieyse village and renovating a senior high school in the Village of Obo. As Dawn was given opportunities to gain higher education so is her desire for youth to have the same. “Changing one life, one person at a time,” is Dawn’s mission. With her newly formed foundation, Bridge-To-Africa Connection, Inc., a non-profit 501 (c)(3), she is accomplishing this by building self-sufficiency, education and empowerment in women and children.
Hailing from Jamaican and Cuban roots, Dawn has a worldview. As long as God gives her breath she plans to continue as a philanthropist, entrepreneur, lecturer, and motivational speaker. She also consults with advocacy organizations that are committed to empowering women with practical, financial, business, and self-reliant skills.
Dawn serves on several non-profit boards in the USA and Africa. She’s been awarded many commendations for her business and humanitarian efforts. She earned her MBA and Master of Social Work from Clark Atlanta University and her Bachelor of Arts from Boston College.
Welcoming Our New Research Fellow: Shanice Battle
Shanice Battle, PhD, MPH is a Social Epidemiologist whose work examines various aspects of health equity. Dr. Battle is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University (BS, Psychology), Georgia State University (MPH) and the University of Michigan where she earned her doctoral degree in Epidemiological Sciences.
She has previously worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morehouse School of Medicine and Emory School of Medicine on various research projects focusing on the prevention of HIV/AIDS, childhood obesity, cardiovascular disease and maternal substance abuse. Her most recent research has a primary interest in the ways in which social, political and economic conditions link racial and gender group membership to the risk of poor mental health, particularly within the neighborhood environment.
Black History Happy Hour
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your Breath away.” — Maya Angelou
Our Black History Happy Hour was a success! It is always a profound experience when Black women are able to fellowship together, celebrating ourselves and all of the other amazing accomplishments of Black women around the world and of various ages. Black women face many hardships in the workplace and in society beyond us. This opportunity to recharge in one another’s company is the type of ongoing experience that we need to properly perform in our respective arenas.
As we step into Women’s History Month, the empowerment that we received at the Happy Hour will encourage us to not falter and to keep going, because we have the support of our Sisters behind every step we take.
Message from Membership
New Year, New Membership Subscription!
IBWPPI invites you to either join or renew your annual membership with us as we begin the New Year. Join as a new member or renew your membership online.
Even in the midst of a two-year Pandemic, IBWPPI has not faulted in our mission to connect and advocate for Black women globally through our programs and initiatives. We have continued our support of the Cordelia-Sutherland Birthing Center in Ghana, the Sunday Girls, the Reading Room Initiatives, and our Boots on the Ground projects. Your membership is vital to the success of all these programs and so much more.
I would like to personally invite you to renew your membership today.
Thanks from your Membership Director, Kathlyn Adams Seay
Why Join IBWPPI?
IBWPPI started in 2009 in the spirit of global unity and sisterhood. Our mission is to connect and advocate for Black women globally through acts of kindness and public policy. We thank our members and ask that you continue your support of IBWPPI and ask others to join us.
