Sister Power On 10

Carla Morrison was ready to throw in the towel on the program she created to bring girls and professional women together. But she said God wouldn’t let her.

And 10 years later, that program is still going strong.

Morrison, a New Haven native who splits her time between the Elm City and Atlanta, started Sisters of Today and Tomorrow as a way to give back to the girls of a community that helped raise her.

On Saturday, the organization held its 10th National Leadership Conference for Girls at Yale University’s Afro-American Cultural Center providing workshops on self-esteem, education, health and fitness, careers/entrepreneurship, and personal development for girls ages 11 to 18 and their mothers or the female guardian in their life. (Read here and here about previous conferences.)

“It was God that kept me going,” she said. ​“I was done last year.”

Morrison puts on the conference in New Haven twice a year and in her adopted city of Atlanta. She said that being honored last year at the 70th-anniversary celebration of the Chi Omicron Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. reminded her that people in her hometown appreciate her efforts and want to see her keep going. This year’s conference theme was ​“SisterPower 2.0,” as Morrison got her second wind to continue the program.

“Did I feel like I had the energy to keep doing it? No,” she said. ​“But somehow, I’ve been able to still do it and I truly love every minute of it.”

She credits the help of friends who are members of the four historically black sororities and local professional women who donate their time to hosting workshops and serving as mentors.

This year she had help from mayoral aide Maya Welfare, who talked to the participants about building self-esteem; Christina Cousin of Quinnipiac University and Wells Fargo, who spoke about preparing for college; and Deborah Busch-Wright, who helped the girls create vision boards to set goals for their future. The girls also always have an opportunity to learn the importance of physical health through a fitness workshop with Chaila Gilliams of Body Workers LLC.

Morrison estimates that over the last 10 years, the organization has served some 500 girls in Atlanta and New Haven. She said many of them have gone on to college and like to give what they’ve received from the organization back by serving as guest speakers and workshop hosts and conferences.

Morrison said she always had the support of her parents, who still live in New Haven. She credits the many adults who supported her along the way for helping her to be successful.

“I’m the product of a village,” she said. ​“My parents did a great job but there was a whole village around me that helped out and I want these girls to have the same thing.

The winter session of the leadership conference is scheduled for Dec. 27 here in New Haven. To support the organization click here.