Golden Girls Group: A Safe Space for Black Women

Golden Girl Group, described on their site'where women of color (and our allies) can always shine' started as a podcast, now a non-profit, with 1,700 Golden Girls on Facebook and growing. Golden Girls Group is a safe space for women. A safe space for Black women & allies.The group welcome women and men of all ethnicities. All those open to a space for Black women to operate out loud, bold, jazzy, snazzy, and naturally."Bring your anime, bring you weave, bring your braids, bring your fro, make sure you are extra," says Williams. The group was founded by a group of women who are dedicated to provide access to personal mental health development, education, and resources.

This journey begins as a personal outlet for Golden Girls Group President, Destinee Williams, a first-generation college student. "Everybody tells you to go to college, but after that, it's like, ok what do I do with this stuff...not a lot of guidance," says Williams. While going through life post college, Williams' husband and her were invited to a speaking engagement. She blew the crowd away and found a way to connect with others. "The whole premise of the podcast was I want Black women to have a space to operate outloud."

While attending a wedding in Miami, Destinee, found her next podcast guest, Myisha Ishmeal, Golden Girls Group Vice-President. The ladies exchange information and soon record a show together. "She was just the bomb," says Williams, "I was like oh my goodness she's great." Ishmeal became a reoccurring guest; the relationship and business grew. Even Covid could not stop the growth and beauty of the Golden Girls Podcast.

The pandemic changed thing, but for their good. COVID expanded things for the Golden Girls Group, as the show began to catch on. They created a Facebook group since they could no longer get together to record. The listeners loved it and soon there were request for group gatherings. The ladies decided to legalize and solidify the group establishing Golden Girls Group as a non-profit.

The ladies' Board of Directors annually host events, bring women and allies together. 1. Gold Link Summit- A development and mental wellness seminar, typically at the beginning of the year.

2. Gold Link Weekend – Takeover Detroit! The group gets together in Detroit. "We might go somewhere and have dinner, we probably get to do something active, mental health wise, but its more about bonding, and creating a network of Black women who can help each other mentally," says Ishmeal.

3. Juneteenth Kickball/Fundraiser Family Event. Ishmeal informs, "Bring your family, we play kickball, we have a bunch of events, a 3-point contest, a hustle competition, Tic-Tok contest and that's to raise money for mental health resources in the Black community.

4. Gold Link Retreat! "That's when we really get into mental health, get into the wellness of it all. Just have a good time, reflect, do some exercises! Its like group therapy but a trip and fun all at the same time," explains Ishmeal.

5. Golden Gala -a networking black tie event.

6.The live show quarterly, finally this event allows engagement within the community. The group takeover a neighborhood local bar about four times out the year and all those entering the location knowing or not become participants of the live audience.

The group focus on mental health is part of Williams being a licensed clinical therapist.Williams and Ishmeal both take mental health seriously. "We push mental health into this because we were dealing with our own mental health," tells Williams.They were struggling too, themselves, and the women around them were "all these Black girls with anxiety." There was a notice of imposter syndrome.They confess working with each other and doing the podcast has helped them through some struggles. The podcast became their therapy, a time to vent, "it became a thing like, 'oh I can't wait to talk about this on the show'."The women vulnerability, openness and strength are evident at every Golden Girls Group event and podcast episode.While creating these open spaces for Black women, Ishmeal, Williams and team are usually the ones unsafe, but they are not complaining just explaining what it takes to carry out the task.

Working in a group, while gathering and collaborating with others is a load in each own. Golden Girls Group makes it look flawless. Williams and Ishmeal appreciate working with their team of women."The chemistry me and Des have and the drive and the love that we have for Black women, have not only cultivated our friendship, but also have allowed us to use each other as a sounding board for ideas,"says Ishmeal, "It builds relationship when we really get on the same page, but it's been trying sometimes because it tests our ability to make things work." Something that our group learned is adjusting to the moving parts. *Williams makes it known, "that the stigma about working with women unnecessary after working with women because there are things about women and there are things about men."* Just like working in any group.

Their leadership, flexibility, have been tested but they have managed for the love of Black women."We have different goals and dream," says Ishmeal. Fitting all that in an organization can be difficult. "The whole point of the organization is to be collaborative," says Williams, "creating a safe space is cool for the people that experience it, the people who are creating it, they have to be very very very intentional."Golden Girls Group is doing amazing work nearing four years in operation; expanding from a podcast to an organized non-profit with annual events. Get more information about Golden Girls Group on Facebook and the website at http://www.GoldenGirlsGroup.org.