Jazmine Sullivan

When my Dad came home with a flyer from the barber shop for the Empowering Through Beauty (ETB) Expo, I was extremely skeptical. The event boasted a few known names including Jen the Pen (of Love and Hip Hop New York) and Jazmine Sullivan (!!), but you don’t hear about this kind of notoriety often in the Greater-Bridgeport area. In the end, my curiosity got the best of me; I wanted to see what it was all about.

What I found out at the event.. Empowering Through Beauty is a nonprofit organization founded by Tanisha Akinloye meant to bring communities, the beauty industry and philanthropy efforts together to fulfill the hopes and dreams of underserved women in southern Connecticut. Tanisha put together the expo, entitled “A Celebration of Beauty” as a way to further her nonprofit’s mission by hosting vendors, motivational speakers, performances and a fashion show.

For what I believe was the nonprofit’s first expo, it was really well done — I only wish that there had been a larger group of young women, as we served as the target for most of messages presented by the speakers. I was presently surprised by every speaker — they all had something poignant and powerful to contribute.

Jen the Pen was one of the first to speak with the audience; I didn’t recognize her at all, as she rocked a new hair color and shorter cut. Jen dove into her experience as a reality star on season 3 of Love & Hip Hop NY. She expressed her surprise at how cruel and negative the response was from viewers on social media, leading her to one of the most insecure times in her life. Of course, it is hard to be sympathetic knowing her character often brought the criticism on herself (particularly with the post-show interviews all over NY radio), however, the hurt I perceived was heartfelt. I’ve never been excessively critical of celebs, but her comments made me think twice about my cheeky comments on social media.

(For anyone wondering what she’s been up to since leaving the show, she said she has focused on taking care of her son and enjoying some time away from the limelight.)

From the moment I saw Jazmine Sullivan’s name on the flyer, I knew she was not going to perform, but that didn’t stop me from hoping and praying (and imagining our duet of “In Love with Another Man”). As expected, Jazmine only made a brief appearance to introduce her mother, and co-manager Pam Sullivan. Pam spoke to the role of a “momager,” and described how she has tried to balance the two roles that often conflict; as a mother she always looks to encourage her daughter and instill confidence, and yet as a manager in the industry, the message is always “you are never good enough.”

It was quite encouraging to see Tanisha’s ability to put together such an empowering event for the up-and-coming nonprofit — I left with a million new ideas for the launch of my project later this year!

Find a full listing of the guest speakers and vendors here.