Lexington women were honored for being pioneers in their fields during the inaugural Trailblazer Luminaries event at Lexington Public Library’s Farish Theater.
During the Friday, March 14 event hosted by local community groups Girls In Motion and Operation Be You, Inc. (OBY), participants celebrated Women’s History Month through dance, reciting literature and both vocal and instrumental music performances.
OBY is a Lexington non-profit that “focuses on the development and empowerment of all girls, with an emphasis on girls of color, according to their website, and Girls in Motion is a Lexington-based dance group.
Through giving young girls a space to express themselves in front of an audience, Roberta Davis, founder and president of OBY, said she hoped participants from both her organization and Girls in Motion would “not hesitate to do anything to get out of their comfort zone.”
Along with an added confidence boost, Davis said participants were empowered throughout the program as they honored Kentucky Supreme Court justice Pamela Goodwine, who attended the event, saying seeing her provided them with needed representation.
“If they don’t see us Black women in positions of power, then it’s almost like they don’t see any hope,” Davis said. “It’s like they are looking at their future. It’s no longer a dream, it’s real. They can feel it, feel her (Goodwine), touch her, see her. She’s here.”
Goodwine, the first Black woman to be elected to the Kentucky Supreme Court and UK alumna, said she was honored to be referred to as a trailblazer, saying she hoped her presence would have a greater meaning for the young participants.
After losing both her parents by 19 years old and facing life-threatening health problems, Goodwine said her story could show both event participants and audience members they can strive for success regardless of what they may be going through in life.
“That’s what I want these young girls to know, is whatever their circumstances are, they can fulfill their dreams,” Goodwine said. “I want to see them on Broadway, I want to see them in corporate offices, wherever their hearts and minds want to take them.”
Goodwine said she hoped her role in the community could help her be a role model to young participants.
“I didn’t have a ‘me,’ I didn’t have someone like Regina or myself to emulate or to look up to,” Goodwine said. “To know that I can give that to these girls means the world to me.”
Goodwine said she was a good friend of Regina Harris, the lead organizer of the Trailblazer Luminaries event and founder of Girls In Motion, saying groups similar to Harris’ were “invaluable” to the community, as they give young girls an outlet to be themselves.
Harris said a goal of the Trailblazer Luminaries event was to not only give young girls a space to express themselves but to uplift them, saying it was important to do so in today’s climate.
“This event was solely talking about dreaming, being your authentic self, rising up,” Harris said. “This was something that I wanted them (participants) to have in a time of darkness.”
While Harris’ organization, Girls In Motion, showcases a variety of dance genres, she said it originally began as a Capoeira-based dance group, saying she wanted to host an inclusive space for girls to practice the art form.
Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art, “incorporates acrobatics, dance, percussion, and songs in a rhythmic dialogue of body, mind, and spirit,” according to ABADÁ-Capoeira San Francisco website.
“I try to create a space just for the girls, because when I step out into the Capoeira world, sometimes it’s more men than girls,” Harris said. “It has changed, but I still go a lot of places and I’m the only girl.”
Providing a platform of unity and acceptance was something Harris said she took much pride in, as it could have a positive impact.
“I feel like our ancestors are so proud of us, because when we do our work, it does healing seven generations back, seven generations forward,” Harris said. “I hope this is like a recharge for them, and they can go out into the world and recharge others.”
