Game Changers: The Conscious Culture Volume 2 Issue 7 | Page 21

always had strong women in my life, and of course at Spelman we were taught it is our job as a woman to be that leader. I’ve never had to be that person up front, I’ve always been fed more by serving and seeing the results of the work. I guess just from my rearing, they just instilled in me that I could do anything. I have had my trials and struggles; I was married then I was divorced and became a single-mom, you can’t allow life to stop. I think that strength comes from within; if I can breathe inner strength into another woman to me my mission is accomplished. Ashonté: We're meeting today in the Broadway Performing Arts studio you began in Stock- bridge, were you fueled to open these doors for similar reasons? Commissioner Clemmons: This was double fold, yes for the em- powerment of young women, but also, I have a daughter who was in college for a theater degree; the entertainment industry can be filled with rejections, I wanted to make sure that when my daugh- ter completed college she had a business where she could utilize her skills but that those skills would also serve the communi- ty. I knew that if they came in because of her then I could pour into them, that empowerment. It was two-fold with me coming from an education and mentoring stand point and she is coming from an Arts as therapy view; we can truly help these girls become well-rounded powerful women. This is a therapeutic arts program, it is so much more than dance studio, it is a family, I work very hard on making sure it remains a positive environment, where they can come to fully express and explore themselves; a chance to be free. We say “Dance for Life”, this place pushes me to make sure Henry County is a place they can thrive. We must make sure that economic opportunities exist for them here otherwise all this work will go to benefit another community they move on to. (You can learn more about Broadway Performing Arts Studio on their website at http:// broadwayper- formingartsga. com/) Ashonté: Tell us about your work with She STEAMS. What is She STEAMS? Commissioner Clemmons: She STEAMS means Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics and Service. It is a non-profit organization who aims to empower young women through the service and philan- thropic efforts of women owned businesses. We create interven- tion programs to intervene with girls academically and behavior- ally with modification programs for girls. The goal is to show them paths to success and other avenues to careers that they may not otherwise be exposed to. The women involved in the adminis- tering of these opportunities to these girls also get the benefit of business mentors and networking opportunities to accelerate their business to the next level. We target women owned businesses to help raise funds to support our programs. Above all this is about service, I tell women if you’re not willing to roll up your sleeves and get some work done this is not the right organization for you. One of the quotes that I grew up on in college is from Marian Wright Edelman, a fellow Spelman graduate, who said “you must lift as you climb”. I had ev- eryone who volunteered with me in college to have this printed on their shirt, that is something that resonated with me. I don’t care how wealthy a woman is or how good her business is, if she isn’t giving back, she is nonexistent.