
The Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society
Why Would a Group of White Women Invite Frederick Douglass to Give One of the Most Powerful Speeches in American History?
Your guide and coach to an “EPIC Life!”
“Tena, How can I put into words how thankful I am for you? Thank you for the great times on the balcony…
I enjoyed watching you do your daily thang – truly inspirational. The way you show your love to your girls and your grandson is simply beautiful.
You know how to communicate on many levels. Sometimes with words, sometimes emotions, sometimes gifts, sometimes silence. You know what others need and you know how to give just that. You are my purple person!”
I think my story is important to share because of the commonalities in experiences we all share, particularly women of color; glimpses into the life of a black leader in the federal government that reveal the challenges minorities face even today; exposure to the very tough, unfriendly culture of NSA; talks about real diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and Belonging, which every employee wants and deserves. And I hope to encourage other woman to write their stories too.
Tena is always available for side collaborations and book club sessions. If you want to chat about your career goals, training, performance improvement or my book, don’t hesitate to reach out. Serious inquiries only.
In this easy-to-read, Self-Love guide, educator and life coach Tena Lawyer, “delivers practical advice interlaced with quotes and research from leading “Thinkers” to help us all deepen our journeys toward a fuller life, says a recent review.
There are powerful messages about the “Brain Bully” and negative self-judgment that won’t be missed. This journal format allows readers to dig deep via retrospection and introspection. Tena shares foundational tools, techniques and practices to transform Readers’ lives, careers, and love!

Why Would a Group of White Women Invite Frederick Douglass to Give One of the Most Powerful Speeches in American History?

For most enslaved people, July 4, 1776, was not a day of freedom or celebration. Their legal status and daily lives remained unchanged despite the Declaration’s assertion that “all men are created equal.”

It was sometime in the 1970s. I was a young girl, traveling with the Pine Grove Baptist Church Youth Group under the leadership of Ms. Otelia Rainey—a woman who planted a seed in me that would grow into a lifelong love of travel, history, and learning.
AuthorTena.Lawyer@gmail.com