From Summit to Senate: Seeing Ourselves in Every Seat of Power

I’ve been thinking about Marian Wright Edelman’s reminder that “you can’t be what you can’t see.” Those seven words sit at the heart of our C1B1 Summit, and if I’m honest, they sit at the heart of my story, too.

A Moment of Recognition

When I was a young girl thumbing through social-studies textbooks, powerful Black women were footnotes at best; however, I felt an unmistakable tug inside: One day, I’ll help women like me step onto bigger stages. Fast forward to today, that tug has a name inspired by Marian Wright Edelman: The C1B1 Summit.

From Conference Ballroom to Congressional Floor

At each summit, we spotlight women who have overcome barriers in tech, finance, health, and public service. However, in the current political climate, I find myself drawn to one arena in particular: Congress.

• Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm - was not supposed to win in 1968, yet she became the first Black woman in the House.
• Representative Ayanna Pressley - said she ran “not to make history but to make change”, and did both.
• Representative Lauren Underwood — a nurse who wrote health-care policies wears her braided crown beneath the Capitol dome.

Their presence is more than symbolic. It rewrites what’s possible for every girl scanning C-SPAN or scrolling Instagram.

Why Visibility Still Matters

Yes, Black women have made strides, but we have not arrived. Black women hold roughly four percent of Congressional seats while making up over seven percent of the U.S. population. Numbers like that tell me our mission is far from finished, and that The C1B1 Summit is more than an event. It is a pipeline.

What Happens at The C1B1 Summit

• We See - Panels, fireside chats, and living-history lessons turn a role model into someone you can shake hands with.
• We Speak - Workshops help participants articulate their visions of leadership, whether a STEM career or a city-council seat.
• We Strategize — Mentors and resource tables convert inspiration into action plans: internships, scholarships, campaign fellowships.

My Call to You

If the sight of Black women crafting legislation sparks hope in you, let that spark travel to a daughter, a mentee, a coworker, or come volunteer at the next summit. The halls of power echo louder when we all walk in.

Let us keep making the unseen visible, one summit, one seat, and one courageous step at a time.

With purpose and power,

Deborah M. Avens
Founder & Chief Empowerment Officer
The SOFEI Group