Black Pearls SocietyWho We Are
About the Society
Black Pearls Society is a private, not-for-profit think tank and sisterhood of Black women committed to strengthening communities by addressing inequities embedded in our institutions, policies, and structures—locally, nationally, and globally.
Our Mission
A private not-for-profit think tank comprised of civically engaged women dedicated to advancing equity and justice by addressing the structural and institutional barriers that affect the well-being of marginalized groups and communities.
Our Vision
A future where Black women leaders are fully supported, valued, and equipped to lead transformative change—building intergenerational networks committed to equity and inclusion.
Leadership
Our Founders
In 2019, Deena Hayes-Greene and Monica Walker established Black Pearls Society—recognizing the need for a dedicated space where influential Black women could unite and amplify their collective influence.
Deena Hayes-Greene
“This is not a service project. It’s a mandate passed down by Black women who shaped history with limited tools but unlimited vision.”
Monica Walker
Co-founder of Black Pearls Society, advancing equity and justice through collective leadership.
Pearls of Inspiration
Rare. Brilliant. Exclusive.
A pearl is formed under pressure—beauty and strength born of resilience. That is the spirit of this sisterhood: civically engaged women using their voices, expertise, and influence to tackle racial inequities head-on. When we organize, systems shift.
Legacy Pearls
Honoring Those Who Came Before
We honor the Black women who shaped history with limited tools but unlimited vision. Their legacy is the mandate that guides this work.
Charlotte Forten Grimke
(1837-1914) Anti-Slavery Activist, Poet, Educator, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and a prominent member of the famous Forten-Purvis family…
Charlotte Hawkins Brown
(1883-1961) Educator, Activist, Suffragist, Founder, Palmer Memorial Institute, born on June 11, 1883 in Henderson, North Carolina, was educ…
Ella Baker
(1903-1986) Activist, Organizer, Movement Leader, played a key role in some of the most influential organizations of the time, including the…
Gladys Faulk Shipman
Gladys Faulk Shipman (1945-2021) Activist, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, NAACP Local President Gladys has left a long and enduring legacy of…
Harriet Tubman
(1822-1913) Abolitionist, Political Activist Known as the “Moses of her people,” Harriet Tubman was enslaved, escaped, and helped others gai…
Ida B. Wells Burnett
(1862-1931) Anti-Lynching Activist, Writer, first became prominent in the 1890s because she brought international attention to the lynching …
Madame CJ Walker
(1867-1919) Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Activist, rose from poverty in the South to become one of the wealthiest African American women of…
Mary Church Terrell
(1863-1957) Activist, Founder & Charter Member of NAACP, Mary Eliza Church Terrell was a well-known African American activist who champi…
Nettie Coad
(1936-2012) Social Activist, Anti-Racist Community Organizer, a longtime community partner and friend of the UNC Center for Health Promotion…
Philis Wheatley
(1753-1784)Celebrated Poet, First Published Black Writer A pioneering African-American poet, Phillis Wheatley was born in Senegal/Gambia ar…
Rosa Parks
(1913 –2005) Celebrated Civil Rights Activist, Rosa Louise Parks was nationally recognized as the “mother of the modern day civil rights mov…
Sojourner Truth
(1797-1883) Abolitionist, Women’s Rights Activist, legal name Isabella Van Wagener, (born c. 1797, Ulster county, N.Y., U.S.—died Nov. 26, 1…
Zora Neale Hurston
(1891-1960) Harlem Renaissance Writer, Activist, born in Alabama in 1891, Zora Neale Hurston became a fixture of New York City's Harlem Rena…