Island SPACE Caribbean Museum Honors Exceptionally Regal Sisters at HERS 2024
US Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz Addresses Women’s Event
PLANTATION – In the warm, sunny weather of July in South Florida, over 200 women gathered at Island SPACE Caribbean Museum. The atmosphere was filled with the delightful tunes of steel pan music as the attendees arrived for the second annual HERS event, “Honoring Exceptionally Regal Sisters.”
From noon until 5:00pm, guests indulged in Caribbean snacks, refreshing welcome drinks, and a showcase of diverse ethnic fashions. A standout comedy performance added to the entertainment. Workshops covered a range of topics such as vaginal health, self-care techniques, and personal branding for business. The event also featured a talented panel of speakers and 14 artisan vendors offering a variety of products like accessories, plants, makeup, and unique clothing, creating a strong sense of sisterhood among women from different Caribbean backgrounds.
HERS Awards Recipents
Even though it was only the second time this event took place, it marked the inaugural honoring of distinguished sisters with HERS awards. The nominees featured prominent individuals such as Attorney Debbie Dickinson, Dr. Teshamae Monteith, mental health counselor Shari N. Warner, and entertainment consultant and non-profit founder Kerra Denel, who emerged as the victor.
That Sunday, July 21, Americans collectively held their breath when the news broke that Joe Biden would be stepping down as the Democratic presidential candidate. US Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz had just arrived to attend the HERS event and was there to present congressional recognition certificates to the four nominees being honored. She took a moment to recognize the historic significance of the moment, as all the women present stood on the brink of a major milestone.
Just before Wasserman Schultz took the stage, it was revealed that President Biden was endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris. Harris, a woman of Black and Asian descent with Jamaican roots, was set to become the first female vice president and potentially the second woman to secure a major party’s nomination for president if her campaign proved successful.
Many of the attendees were from the island of Jamaica, where Harris spent childhood summers with her paternal grandmother.
Wasserman Schultz said to the roomful of women, “The sisterhood in this room came together intentionally to honor women that have been toiling in the wilderness and who have been able to be successful in their small businesses or their nonprofit organizations or in the education world or in the cultural world. We have come so far as women in the United States of America. We just passed the 100th anniversary of our having the right to vote. And this is our moment, ladies. We need to channel that energy into action.”
The moment at Island SPACE Caribbean Museum was powerful, though it did not eclipse the celebration being held around it.
Camille Edwards, a former board member of Island SPACE, said the event wouldn’t have happened without her amazing team. A team of volunteers, plus sister organization the Jamaican Women of Florida.
