Women Everywhere Believe

It's a Wednesday night in New York City.

Chelsea opens the door and lets us into the room. Akua sits down and immediately starts eating her food, meanwhile Chelsea is getting settled, still lethargic from her nap. As for me, I’m simply trying to loosen my scarf and get my notepad and pen out.

I’m really excited about the conversation that we’re about to have as Chelsea Miller and Akua Obeng-Akrofi are the co-founders of Women Everywhere Believe Inc (WEBelieve). An organization that focuses on young women of color to empower them to lead and grow in a world that is often against them. Akua and Chelsea started this organization in 2015, their first year of college, and it has since expanded into a network of women and colleges whose main goal is to fill the gaps in our communities. Once the two realized they wanted to go beyond Columbia University and New York City, they grew to ten chapters, and now as I write this, they are working on expanding to thirty additional chapters. Amazing right?

Last weekend, WEBelieve had their second annual Her Legacy Conference and Gala to honor women who are doing the work and to fund raise, in order to continuing growing. The honorees at the Gala were Omnia Saed, Valencia Clay, and Tarana Burke. Omnia is their fellow classmate who started a program called AUDRE, which is an after school writing program led by undergraduates at Columbia and is partnered with the Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School in NYC. Valencia Clay is a Baltimore based teacher who is beyond inspirational to her students and the people who watch her teach from all over the country. She made sure to tell us that we are all healers and that we need to serve. And finally, Ms.Tarana Burke started the MeToo movement in 2006 to help sexual assault survivors and despite her recent rise to mainstream prominence, she made it very clear in her speech that she doesn’t care about recognition; we just need to do the work.

The gala was a beautiful event and I was so honored to be in a room full of people of color who are committed to making a difference. There were amazing speeches from the honorees, plenty of dancing, and everyone was well dressed!

Chelsea on the left and Akua on the right with honoree and activist Tarana Burke. 

A few days have passed since the event and now I’m on Columbia's campus with the two women. As I sit here watching them both get ready to answer my questions, it's easy to forget that Akua and Chelsea are still college students. Seniors in their final semester, gearing up to join the “real world.” Yet, when I think about the mission of WEBelieve, it’s clear Chelsea and Akua already know about the real world, because that’s what inspired them to start the organization.

WeBelieve Inc is amazing, but who are Akua and Chelsea? See I’m lucky, because not only have I seen the incredible work they’ve done, but I was once their classmate. When the two were freshmen and saw the inequalities in police indictments, I was a junior in college. Witnessing the same injustice, and sitting in the same dining halls and club lounges, dissecting and discussing our anger. They shared meals with me, attended the same parties as me (sometimes in my very own suite), and watched me graduate. As important as it is to do the work, it’s important to get to know the people behind the work, and that is why I want to write this. They shared experiences with me and this piece is an ode to that connection.

I finally get my notepad and pen out, and start to explain why I want to talk to the two of them, and what my vision is for the interview. Akua is eating while Chelsea is looking at her phone, and within minutes of me talking, Akua is reprimanding Chelsea.

“What are you doing right now? She is talking to us and you on your phone screenshotting pictures of yourself?”

“Okay, but Marquita already explained all this to me, and that's the first time I saw that picture so I had to get it.”

I begin to laugh and the two are worried that they are messing up my vision, but what they don’t understand is this is exactly what I wanted. Earlier I asked, who are Chelsea and Akua?

I could answer with this: Chelsea and Akua are two young black women from New York City and Atlanta respectively. Akua is a track star, running for her native country Ghana, and a student athlete at Columbia. Chelsea is on the fast track too, working for amazing companies, one of which included working in the White House under President Obama.

But, that doesn’t answer my question. Who are Chelsea and Akua and what do they represent?

The women share a laugh as they take pictures during the conference.

Friends. They are friends. In fact, the word they use is sisters in reference to one another. The two are business partners who started an amazing organization, and their friendship keeps that engine running. I ask how they handle conflict since they are together often and Akua answers simply, there isn’t much conflict. They both make sure to be honest with one another in all aspects and when it comes to business, Chelsea is the visionary and Akua is the strategist. Two traits that simply compliment one another.

The two didn’t always start out on the same wavelength, despite being in sync now. I want to know how their friendship came to be, so I ask, How did you two become friends?”

Chelsea is still waking up from her nap, but begins to speak right away.

“First time we started hanging out, I was like oh okay this girl has no boundaries, because she would just come in my room and chill and visit me often. I thought like this girl just comes into people’s rooms and is really friendly!”

Akua makes a puzzled face and interrupts Chelsea by asking, “If you didn’t want me in your room, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well I thought maybe this is what people from Atlanta do! Maybe this is a southern thing!”

“Chelsea wow! I’m thinking we cool, but you ain’t even want me in your room?”

I begin to chuckle as the two go back and forth and Chelsea begins to explain that her confusion of Akua’s friendliness quickly turned into admiration. Akua admits that the comment kind of hurt her feelings and Chelsea apologizes. In just that moment, I see their friendship play out and it’s easy to imagine how they run this organization. With honesty and understanding.

Chelsea tells me that she knew Akua would be her friend for a long time when Akua helped her through a breakup her freshman year. Akua laughs and says that Chelsea is so cliche by saying that, because she doesn’t even remember that particular relationship lasting a long time. Chelsea fires back at Akua, and asks what about you then?

Akua goes into how the two of them really have an understanding that goes beyond words. They could be far apart in the same room, but if something happens they both find each other’s eyes and share the same feeling. Chelsea softens as she hears Akua speak of their friendship.

They both agree it’s reached a point where the rest of their friends hate being around them because they are so goofy when together. It’s no wonder they run this impactful organization with such efficiency. They have fun with each other.

But, the two of them are quick to let me know how much WEBelieve thrives on other people’s help. They aren’t lying. I noticed from attending the gala and reading through brochures that their friends were leading workshops and receiving awards. Their friends were serving food and DJing the event and some of them are running chapters in other states.

After talking for over an hour, I ask the two of them what does WEBelieve and their friendship look like once college is done? In regards to WEBelieve, the two have no worries that the organization will thrive without their physical presence on campus. They ensure me that the legacy and the work is not just in their hands and they will still be involved from afar.

As for their friendship, Chelsea knows she will be staying in NYC and working with Unilever in a role they created just for her. On the other hand, Akua wants to run professionally and that means she is looking for coaches and could end up anywhere in the country. Chelsea pouts when I ask the question about their friendship, and says she would love for Akua to stay and be close to her. But Akua, the strategist, assures Chelsea and me that her friendships are dear to her and she will work to maintain them all, even if she ends up far.

Something tells me these two will be friends for a long time as they have no problem doing the work necessary to uplift each other and others.

Women Everywhere Believe is not just an organization about teaching and mentoring young women. It’s about compassion, it’s about hard work, and most of all it’s about sisterhood.

Make sure to donate to this wonderful cause!! Here is the link to donate: www.fundly.com/webelieve

Thank you for reading!