Expo for Today’s Black Woman

 

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This past weekend I had the pleasure of attend the Chicago Expo for Today’s Black Woman.  What a great time and what a well put together Expo.  The Expo has been held here in Chicago for many years (I am not quite sure of the exact number).  No matter how many years the Expo has been around they are still on the cutting edge of what is going on in our society and they make the weekend enjoyable and tiring (in a good way).

I spent my entire Saturday afternoon at the Expo and let’s say I could have left broke and tired.  The vendors were awesome.  You could purchase everything at the Expo from popcorn to purses and everything in between.  There were hundreds, may thousands of people in attendance and there was something to do for everyone.

Some of the highlights for me were the celebrities intermingled with the crowd.  There was Leon at a booth signing autographs, Sheryl Lee Ralph, the original DreamGirl!  working her booth, taking photos and selling t-shirts.  I was able to catch a panel discussion with the hilarious and talented Kym Whitley who and shared the panel with a local Chicago lifestyle blogger Swa-Rai.  There were even performances by Kelly Price and Tony Terry.

Despite all of these things, what would an Expo be without the participation of companies that make you feel and live better.  My employer, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System hosted a booth as well as the University of Chicago, several other clinics.  There were mobile on-site wellness clinics and rapid HIV testing available.  There was also an education pavilion with a host of schools providing information on everything such as seminary and advanced degrees.

This was my first time attending the EXPO in a few years, however it will bot be my last.  I am so pleased at the caliber of booths and presenters as well as how well the space was laid out.  I could have had a little more space within the aisles because it did get crowded and there were several bottlenecks of people. I would have also loved to see local small restaurants or chefs able to provide food service for the event instead of the well known and overpriced chains that were there.

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Overall, I enjoyed myself and will make plans to attend again next year.  I appreciate the effort that went into making this year’s Expo a success and look forward to what the organizers will do in the future to outdo what they did this year.  If the Expo comes to a city near you make it your business to be in attendance.

 

The Background….

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Most of you who have been following me know that I am completing my Doctorate in Education.  What I have not discussed is the topic of my dissertation as well as how I selected the topic.  First of all let me state that my research is about the lives and lived experiences of single, professional African American women.  There was an interesting road that led me here.

A few years ago, more accurately several years ago, a good friend of mine invited a group of her female friends over to watch a documentary called SoulMate.  The documentary discussed the issues many single African American women face while dating and attempting to find a mate.  The documentary was interesting to say the least and it provoked much discussion throughout the evening.

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One of the things that struck me throughout the evening was how emotional the women in the room were about being single.  There were tears and laments about being single and at first I thought they were joking but I realized that they were serious and some of the women in that room were borderline depressed because they were still single.  On the way home from this ‘Girls Night Out’ I began to wonder how I felt about being single, and where my feelings came from.

I began to think about our pressures from society, from family and at times from peers to marry.  I also thought about how religious institutions also play a large role in how we are viewed as single, professional women in  a society where marriage is the societal norm, even though single, professional women are the largest and fastest growing demographic in today’s society.  To say the least there are topics for great discussion.  For the past few years this topic has been consuming my time.  As I get closer to completing my degree and defending my dissertation, I will be sharing more about what I have discover in my research and looking to have more discussion with my audience.

In the meantime, take a look at the website for the movie SoulMate.  The documentary was made several years ago, however it is very relevant today.  I encourage you all to take a look at the documentary make it a girl’s night and have an honest discussion with your friends about how you feel about being single and how it impacts your life and relationships.