Who Is
She?
MARIA DENISE DOWD
The Founder and Executive
Producer
African American Women
on Tour
In 1991, the first African American women's conference was
born, attracting more than 600 women. Two years later, Maria
created African American Women on Tour, which has traveled to
over a dozen cities since 1991. In 2001, African American Women
on Tour produced its first Sisterfriend Soul Journeys Caribbean
Retreat in St. Kitts and Nevis, West Indies. AAWOT’s first
European retreat took place last summer in Paris, France.
"African American Women on Tour, now
celebrating its 13th anniversary, is an incredibly healing
experience for thousands of Black women,” Maria says. “Sisters
from around the world come ‘home’ every year, committed to
making positive changes in their relationships, health,
professions and lifestyles." Over the past decade, Maria has
garnered the sponsorship of multinational corporations and has
attracted a loyal following of more than 20,000 women.
Maria self-published Sisterfriend Soul Journeys: The
Spirit and Expressions of African American Women on Tour, a
profoundly powerful collection of inspirational stories, poems
and essays about women's journeys to healing, personal growth
and spiritual insight. It's written by women across the African
diaspora, and includes beautifully illustrated pages for journal
entries. Under the auspices of her new company, SoulJourneys,
Inc., she’ll begin editing the second edition of
Sisterfriend Soul Journeys Winter of 2003.
She’s near complete with her first novel,
Angels Revealed, a heartrending collection of novellas
about four women – Simone, Jena, Coco and Giselle – who work at
the newly renovated Odyssey, an exotic dance club located in San
Diego, California. Angels Revealed weaves the stories
of their childhoods into those of their young adult lives, as
each character’s “book” sheds light on the bittersweet, sexy,
eerie, funny and often sad realities of a girl’s rites of
passage. As each struggles to find her rightful place in the
sun, Angels Revealed exposes the raw nerves and simple
truths about human nature, social ills and resolution of the
spirit.
Maria wrote the foreword of Anita Bunkley’s
book, Stepping Out with Attitude (Harper Perennial) and
was a featured writer on NiaOnline. She was also featured in
Cheryl Broussard’s Sister CEO: The Black Woman’s Guide to
Starting Your Own Business. She has also appeared in
Essence (May 1997; March 2001), Black Enterprise
and Heart & Soul magazines.
When not running AAWOT business (if there is
such a thing) Maria devotes time to her thriving Warm Spirit
business and her two daughters Lauren, 17; and Janelle, 21. She
enjoys yoga and weight training and teaches Latin aerobics at a
local fitness club chain. Maria initally found mixed media
collage-making relaxing and therapeutic, and now has original
works displayed in the homes of several executives, including
that of feminist writer bell hooks. Maria also enjoys reading,
traveling and reggae dancing.
Source:
http://www.aawot.com/maria.html
The African American Women on Tour Conference -
the nucleus of the Black woman's empowerment experience -
will take place on Hilton Head Island, SC, September 18
- 21, 2003, will feature internationally
recognized spokeswomen, powerful workshops and
community-building sessions. Our goal is to provide a dynamic,
yet nurturing environment to re-connect with our women-ness, and
support personal and professional advancements.
Our goal is to provide a dynamic, yet
nurturing environment to re-connect with our women-ness, and
support personal and professional advancements.
2003 marks a new beginning for African
American Women on Tour and Sisterfriend Soul Journeys' expanded
global vision. And, we invite you to start making plans today to
invest in your soul-journey…as we continue our mission to touch
the hearts and spirits of women, families and communities
worldwide.
For more information, please continue to
browse our site, call 1-800-560-2298 or send an e-mail message
to .
Who to Contact. . .
™
