WHM Series Will Explore Leadership, Healing, Rich Legacy of Black Women

Special to the New Journal and Guide

After decades of leading major nonprofit institutions and advancing local, regional, and national initiatives, Dr. Ruth T. Jones Nichols made a decision many women leaders rarely allow themselves: she stepped away.

In January, Jones Nichols  began a six-month sabbatical to reflect on the next chapter of her leadership.

During that time, she read Bloom How You Must: A Black Woman’s Guide to Self-Care and Generational Healing by award-winning author and wellness advocate Tara Pringle Jefferson – a book that is inspiring a broader community conversation during Women’s History Month.

Under the theme “Bloom Through the Seasons,” Jones Nichols and her iamRuth Foundation are presenting two public events, in partnership with Isha Foss Design, scheduled for March 16 and 17. Her goal is offer the occasion for women across generations to explore leadership, healing, and the enduring role of Black women as community builders.

“I have spent much of my career pouring into communities and institutions,” Jones Nichols said. “This sabbatical reminded me that the women who help communities bloom also deserve time to restore their own roots.”

Jones Nichols brings decades of public service and nonprofit leadership to that mission at local and national levels. She previously served locally as President and CEO of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore and as Executive Director of the YWCA of South Hampton Roads.

In 2023, the Hampton Roads-based iamRuth Foundation was organized to support leadership development opportunities for women and girls.

“Bloom Through the Seasons” will invite women to reflect on how leadership evolves across different stages of life while honoring the traditions and sacrifices of those who came before them.

The first event, scheduled for March 16 at The Slover in Norfolk, will feature Author Tara Pringle Jefferson in conversation with Jones Nichols about the themes explored in her book.

Jefferson  – founder of The Self Care Suite, a wellness community for Black women – often describes herself as a “wellness anthropologist,” examining the cultural and generational roots of self-care practices among Black women and how those traditions shape modern approaches to healing.

“These intergenerational conversations have always been the backbone of my work,” Jefferson said. “Something powerful happens when women of different ages and life experiences come together.”

The conversation will continue the following day at the Hampton University Museum, where Jones Nichols has partnered with museum director Dr. Vanessa Thaxton-Ward to host an intergenerational leadership convening for high school and college students alongside accomplished women leaders from across Hampton Roads.

During curated gallery tours, participants will engage with works highlighting women as culture keepers and creative visionaries. Some of the featured works will include sculptures by Elizabeth Catlett and costume designs by Academy Award–winning designer Ruth E. Carter, whose work helped shape the visual storytelling of Black Panther.

Storyteller Jondalyn Holston will present a dramatic interpretation honoring the legacy and endurance of Black women across generations, while youth poets from Teens With a Purpose will share spoken word reflections that center the voices and aspirations of the next generation. Both artistic elements will appear in the March 16 and March 17 gatherings.

In a world that often asks women to carry the weight of their communities, Jones Nichols hopes the gatherings will remind participants that caring for themselves is not a retreat from leadership – but a necessary part of sustaining it.

Registration for the March 16 event remains open. Register at: https://bit.ly/4siqb6d.