Dallas, TX, March 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Victory crammed the air on the Statler Resort in downtown Dallas on Friday, March 20, as Dr. Cheryl Polote Williamson welcomed a unprecedented group of ladies leaders from Dallas and throughout the nation for the 4th Annual Ladies of Affect Awards Luncheon, a celebration of excellence, impression, and group.
Co-hosted by group chief, Adrienne Barrett, the sold-out luncheon drew girls from throughout the nation for a day of recognition, connection, and celebration underneath this 12 months’s theme, “Victory.” Offered by Cheryl Journal and benefiting Soul Reborn, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based by Dr. Polote Williamson to rework the lives of deprived, disenfranchised, and previously incarcerated girls, the occasion has turn into one in every of Dallas’ most anticipated Ladies’s Historical past Month gatherings.
“It is not about who has the biggest title or the most followers. It’s about the heart behind the work, the sacrifices, and the faith,” Dr. Polote Williamson to the complete room. “This is what God has called me to do until my last breath: to lift, to love, to support, and to make a significant impact Soul Reborn will continue to serve and uplift women locally, nationally, and globally.”
Barrett set the tone for the afternoon from the second she took the stage.
“We are here to celebrate Soul Reborn and 17 incredibly amazing, powerful women,” Barrett stated. “It’s no coincidence that this luncheon is during Women’s History Month. It’s a time we reflect on what women have accomplished, and it’s also a time to be inspired for what we will do.”
More Read
The luncheon marked a serious fundraising milestone for Soul Reborn, elevating a further $125,000 in assist onsite in the course of the occasion. Throughout her acceptance speech, honoree Sharyn Ellison, co-founder and president of The Ellison Basis, introduced a $50,000 contribution from Lowe’s. Later, in the course of the VIP post-event reception, Kelley Cornish, president and CEO of the T.D. Jakes Basis stunned Dr. Polote Williamson with the Champion for Change Award, making her the primary girl within the basis’s historical past to obtain the respect. The T.D. Jakes Basis additionally pledged $25,000 to Soul Reborn. Moreover, Texas Capital gave $50,000 in direction of Soul Reborn’s new “The Six Month Incubator Entrepreneur” program for 50 enterprise house owners.
A number of honorees delivered remarks that resonated all through the room, together with Cicley Homosexual, founding father of The Amplifier and Board Chairwoman of the Black Lives Matter World Community Basis.
“To the women in the room I hope to one day encounter, I want you all to be reminded that Black lives still matter, always, in all ways,” Homosexual stated.
More Read
Dr. Karri Bryant, first woman and government pastor of New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, additionally highlighted the spirit of sisterhood that defines the luncheon.
“You are literally the blueprint for sisterhood,” Dr. Bryant stated of Dr. Polote Williamson. “You embody what it means, and you are an example to all of us.”
The luncheon additionally welcomed Dallas Metropolis Supervisor Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, a earlier Ladies of Affect honoree, who delivered the invocation. The 2026 honorees represented a broad spectrum of management and affect spanning healthcare, finance, religion, philanthropy, media, and the humanities:
April Ryan: The Tenacious Fact-Teller, Chief, Washington D.C. Bureau, Senior White Home Reporter, The Black Press, USACicley Homosexual: The Philanthropy Powerhouse, Founder, The Amplifier, and Board Chairwoman of the Black Lives Matter World Community Basis Sharan Allen: The Wellness Innovator, Board-Licensed Nurse Practitioner and Co-Proprietor, ALMS Neighborhood Well being CenterKaran Staggers: The Neighborhood Well being Champion, President, ALMS Neighborhood Well being CenterDee Dee Bates: The Visionary Monetary Government, Company Vice President, New York Life Insurance coverage CompanyDr. Karri Bryant: The Devoted Innovator, First Woman and Government Pastor, New Beginning Missionary Baptist ChurchValeisha Butterfield: The Cultural Architect, Founder, World State of Ladies and SEED MediaKelley Cornish: The Influential Catalyst, President and CEO, T.D. Jakes FoundationMarnese Barksdale Elder: The Strategic HR Powerhouse, CEO, Mecca Administration SolutionsSheila Eldridge: The Media Sovereign, CEO, Miles Forward Leisure and BroadcastingSharyn Ellison: The Philanthropic Legacy Steward, Co-Founder and President, The Ellison FoundationDr. Dretona Maddox: The Transformative Advocate, Founding Government Director, Purposely Chosen, Inc.Velena McRae: The Coronary heart-Centered Advocate, Founder and President, The JV McRae Basis, Inc.Sara Madsen Miller: The Artistic Visionary, COO and Government Producer, 1820 ProductionsAlaina Pinkney: The Artistic Legacy Builder, Founder and CEO, Pinkney CreativeJanelle Quinn: The Wealth Empowerment Visionary, Founder, 3Five Wealth and Empowered InvestorKimberla Lawson Roby: The Storyteller of Sacred Truths, NYT and USA In the present day Finest-Promoting Writer, Founder, Profitable Ladies of Religion
This 12 months, Dr. Polote Williamson introduced a shock recognition to an 18th honoree, her mom, Gretta L. Polote. She acquired the Dream Pusher award for the numerous function she performed in her daughter’s life.
The 2026 Ladies of Affect Awards Luncheon was made potential with assist from Agape Life Multicultural Companies, American Airways, Black Lives Matter, Lowe’s, Mansfield Funeral Residence & Cremations, The Polote Company, She Empowerment World, Simmons Financial institution, T.D. Jakes Basis and 3FIVE Wealth.
More Read
A portion of the proceeds from the Ladies of Affect Luncheon will fund grants for women-owned companies and supply enterprise assets and programming year-round to assist additional develop their companies.
###
PHOTOS:
ABOUT SOUL REBORNSoul Reborn is a 501(c)(3) non-profit group based by best-selling creator, transformational speaker, and entrepreneur Cheryl Polote Williamson. By way of the assistance of group leaders, influencers, and volunteers, Soul Reborn focuses on remodeling the lives of deprived, disenfranchised, and beforehand incarcerated girls by educating and equipping them with the instruments for all times and enterprise.
ABOUT CHERYL MAGAZINECheryl Journal is a quarterly publication with a concentrate on highlighting the wonderful work of highly effective girls. Every challenge of Cheryl Journal brings you the grace, class, model, and energy of this nation’s far-most main but unsung girls. A few of them you understand, some you’ll come to know, however all of them are presents to their respective fields of endeavor. It is Inspiration for the On a regular basis Lady — for ladies, about girls, by girls.
2026 Honorees
Spring cowl
