Choose to Awaken with the WUE Nation!

On March 29, 2020, Spirit of A Woman, LLC, launched the Wake Up Everybody (WUE) Virtual series in partnership with community healers, thought leaders, coaches, medical and mental health professionals, educators and artists from across the nation. WUE was created to provide community members, from across the country and abroad, with an opportunity to keep their mental, emotional,  physical and spiritual well beings balanced and whole as they navigated the impact of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 global health crisis. 

WUE was  originally designed as a 30 day offering that would provide “temporary” covering and support for participants until the quarantine period ended, however, the producers and community members quickly realized that the WUE journey would last much longer than they originally anticipated. 

The series was created by Shawnee Benton Gibson, CEO, of Spirit of A Woman (SOW) Leadership Development Institute, who was inspired by the lyrics of the song  “Wake Up Everybody” by Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. The song, which was popular in the 70s, speaks of issues that we are still glaringly relevant today; (racism, war, poverty, sickness, political strife, corruption, etc). The WUE Virtual series was designed to “WAKE UP” the masses by providing empowering messaging, holistic healing tools, guidance for daily living and strategies for addressing the injustices, pain and imbalance that exists in the world. 

All of the “Wake Up Everybody” sessions take place 5 days a week (every Sunday, Tuesday, & Thursday from 7:00am - 8:30am EST and every Monday and Wednesday from 7:00am -7:30am EST.) over Zoom and Facebook Live. Every session is facilitated by powerful and prolific presenters from various backgrounds and areas of discipline. Each facilitator guides participants through an interactive experience that fosters education, conversation, new insights, empowerment  and expansion. 

The WUE Family invites you to join our phenomenal community so that you can share, heal and grow as part of the collective. You are free to join as a community participant, as a session facilitator and/or a member of the admin team to support the magic that happens behind the scenes. We hope to hear from you. 

Sunday, September 28th - "I Ain’t Got Time for This Ish..."

Facilitated By: Rachel Ullah

This workshop is designed to help participants recognize the patterns, distractions, and unhealthy cycles that drain their time, energy, and purpose. Through open dialogue, reflective exercises, and practical strategies, we explore how to set boundaries, prioritize what truly matters, and let go of what no longer serves us.

Monday, September 29th - “Make Joy From Pain...Continued"

Facilitated By: Dionne Monsanto

Grief Transformation Coach & Author, Dionne Monsanto for a heartfelt 30-minute experience where we gently walk with your grief—not to fix it, but to honor it. Through breath, reflection, and meaningful prompts, we’ll explore where you’ve been, where you are, and where your heart longs to go. Whether your loss is fresh or long-held, this is a space to begin reclaiming joy—without guilt, without pressure.

Come as you are and leave lighter, with tools and perhaps closer to acceptance of your loss.

Tuesday, September 30th -  "Who Gets Funded, Who Gets Erased: The Future of Black Diaspora Storytelling" 

Facilitated By: Coach Athenia Rodney

This workshop examined how structural racism and funding inequities determine whose stories are amplified and whose are silenced across the Black diaspora. Participants explored barriers created by philanthropy and cultural gatekeeping, while also envisioning new models of support that center sovereignty, equity, and community power. The session affirmed storytelling as a tool for survival and liberation, calling for resources and systems that sustain and celebrate the fullness of Black creative expression.

Wednesday, October 1st - "Staying Above The Fray: Tools Check!"

Facilitated By: Sheryl Glenn

In this brief interactive session, you’ll discover simple, practical tools to stay centered, sharpen your focus, and keep moving forward no matter the chaos. Together, we’ll take stock of the strategies already in your mental wellness toolkit and add fresh ones to help you reset with ease. When the pressure’s on,  you’ll be equipped to rise higher, think clearer, and spiral above the fray.

Thursday, October 2nd - "Cultural Recovery-Reclaiming Traditional Names"

 Facilitated By: Babajay Dr. Onaje Muid

Through conquest and colonization, African peoples endured forced cultural erasure and abuse. Our ancestors had no choice in accepting European names. By the 1960s, the continuation of these imposed names began to be questioned. Today, many are once again asking: Why should we continue to carry the names of our oppressors and violators?

This conversation will revisit these questions and explore the possibility of hosting a community renaming ceremony for those who wish to reclaim their identities.

Our Facilitators!

Rachel S. Ullah is a dedicated mother of two and grandmother of three, with a profound commitment to community service and personal growth. Over the past eight years, she has played a pivotal role in the True2Life/Crisis Management System, an organization dedicated to combating violence and fostering positive change in under-resourced communities. Rachel's journey with True2Life began as a volunteer. Through her unwavering dedication and passion for helping others, she evolved into a trained Credible Messenger, ACS mentor, violence interrupter, and outreach worker. Her exemplary service and leadership have earned her the position of Program Director's Assistant. Beyond her professional roles, Rachel is deeply devoted to fostering the growth of her community. She embodies compassion, shares resources, and extends empathy—qualities often missing in today's society, especially in areas that lack adequate support. Her deep-seated passion for giving back stems from a desire to provide the support and guidance she once lacked. In addition to her work with True2Life, Rachel is a talented poet. She uses her literary talents to inspire and motivate others, weaving her experiences and insights into her poetry to uplift and encourage those around her. Rachel's ultimate goal is to speak publicly, share her experiences, and help shift societal norms.

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Dionne C. Monsanto, Chief Joy Connector and Founder of Joyous Ocean, left a successful financial services career to pursue a passion as a yoga and dance instructor. She is blessed to have taught thousands of classes internationally. As a mental health advocate, life coach, speaker, and performer, she connects people to their joy. She provides the space for her clients to realize their goals and build better versions of themselves.

When not fully engaged in mental health advocacy with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention or The Siwe Project, she is supporting her clients and cooking up something new to share. Whether speaking, or training, she connects her clients to joy. As the Chief Joy Connector, she moves with ease through seemingly disparate worlds. With joy as the through-line, she is a Movement Fluidity Expert that brings her love for nature and process into all things. She believes that we can collectively change the world if we each build a joy-filled health body to support the lives we want to live. In short Dionne helps people Live Life INjoy.    

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Athenia Rodney is the Founder and CEO of Umoja Events, a female-owned corporate events logistics planning company based in Brooklyn, NY, and organizer of the flagship event annually known as Juneteenth NYC Festival and Summit. Umoja Events is a MWBE business and focuses on partnerships with city agencies. Athenia has a passion for travel which has led her to start Rodney Tribe Travel and Tours where she offers group travel for weddings and retreats. 

Athenia a wife, mother of 3 holds many positions in the New York City community of Brooklyn where she is currently a chair on the Family Advisory Board of United For Brownsville, an Ambassador for Brownsville Sentiment, Board member at Brookdale Hospital One Brooklyn Health, Co-chair for “Moms Who Lead With Love” a virtual advocacy support group and organizer and founder of the 13th Annual Juneteenth NYC Summit and Nationally recognized Festival. 

One of Athenia’s inspiration is her mother. Growing up in Brooklyn, Athenia’s mother faced barriers to participation as an immigrant in the educational system and that has fueled her ambassadorship with education not only for herself and family but also for others who do not have a voice. Athenia learned how critical it was to be able to access an equitable education, and recognized that the pandemic meant a gap in educational services and childhood development. Athenia acted fast with the help of her peers to put support in place for community members to improve the education, health, and wellbeing of families. 

Among other accolades, Athenia has mentored youth, married couples, and entrepreneurs to achieve their greatest potential.

Athenia, a psychology graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont and a long time lover of education continues to take certificate programs and add to her long list of recognitions that are way too many to mention here. 

Lastly, Athenia was recognized by The Robin Hood Foundation in 2020 as a New York Hero recipient for the work done with United for Brownsville. In addition, Athenia received an Entrepreneur of the Year award from New York City for her amazing organization of the NYC Juneteenth event for 12 years running and her superb outreach work with the community.

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Sheryl Glenn is a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, Reiki Practitioner, Aromatherapist, and Sacred Woman.

These teachings are reflected in her business, 'Your Bliss Zone'. Your Bliss Zone's mission is centered in the value of healing ourselves through unplugging from our highly technologically impacted lives to slow down, unwind and destress. Its message supports going inward to connect to the Higher more spiritual part of oneself, connecting with The Most High. Sheryl does Transformation Coaching, Reiki, Aromatherapy and promotes Creative Wellness as a Lifestyle.

As an extension of this work, she has created a natural, vegan soap and body care line and a Power Jewelry line. Sheryl creates every item by hand. 

In Your Bliss Zone her motto is: "The Way Out Is Always the Way IN!" 

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