Heels on the Battlefield Conference Honors Women Leaders, Reflects Sisterhood
Photo by Autumn Daughtry
BY AUTUMN DAUGHTRY | For AC JosepH Media
SEWELL – Veteran local dentist Michele Turner-Wood, who was honored by the Gloucester County NAACP last month, told her audience that definition has more to do with assisting and serving others rather than promoting yourself.
Turner-Wood made the comments on May 21 while being recognized at the annual Heels on the Battlefield Women’s Leadership Conference at the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum. It marked the first time the popular conference celebrated local female leaders with awards.
“Leadership is not about standing above others,” Turner-Wood said. “It’s about lifting others up as we climb. When we do this, we are planting seeds and pouring into the generation that’s coming behind us.”
Turner, who has spent the last 31 years in dentistry and 24 years with her own practice, was honored with Assemblywoman Heather Simmons of the 3rd Legislative District and Mayor La’Daena Londo of Penns Grove.
“Dentistry has allowed me the platform to take away people’s pain, enhance their confidence by giving them smiles that they deserve,” Turner-Wood said.
The evening event was filled with vendors as attendees moved through the museum’s theater room for a night of recognition, reflection, and sisterhood.
This year marked a milestone: for the first time in the event’s history, the NAACP chose to honor women specifically — naming three recipients of the inaugural Women’s Leadership Award.
“This is the first year that we are honoring women,” said Tiffany Blair, an event organizer with the Gloucester County NAACP. “We revamped the whole program this year. We were like, this is a women’s event. We need to uplift the people that are doing that work for us, representing us really, really well within our community.”
The event started off with a fashion show from local clothing vendors. Next there was a panel talk where we talked about women’s health and economics.
Simmons was recognized for her legislative push to put perimenopause and menopause protections in the workplace into law.
Londo, a special selection by branch president Loretta Winters, was celebrated for her role in becoming the first woman mayor in Penns Grove and beyond — including her book and her perfume line.
When asked about her accomplishments, Londo reflected on the journey.
“To be recognized for my resilience — it really means a lot to me,” she said. “A lot of times when you’re in the struggle, you get caught up in the struggle, and you don’t realize that other people are actually being inspired.”
The event also drew remarks from Robin Walton, Senior vice president for external affairs and chief philanthropy officer at Inspira Health, who praised the gathering as essential.
“So many of you as women in this room are mentors, sponsors, advisors — carrying the mantle for so many women of color that are either behind or beside us,” Walton said.
Asked to explain what Heels on the Battlefield means, Blair didn’t hesitate.
“Black women and women of color are walking in the battlefield every day, trying to survive, trying to protect ourselves and our family, our legacy,” she said. “When we put our makeup on — which is like our war paint — and we put our heels on, we kind of feel a little bit more confident and empowering.”
“Heels on the Battlefield is just like, we’re doing the work. We’re here. We’re unapologetic about it. We not going anywhere. It’s about the sisterhood of warriors.”
The event was also restructured this year. It was moved from a full weekend day to a weeknight, and trimmed from six hours to four, to better fit the lives of the women it celebrates.
“We know, as women, that our lives are extremely busy,” Blair said. “A lot of times we get so caught up in our daily routines that we forget to network, forget to breathe, put our hair down and have that little bit of time for ourselves. It’s really about celebration and community and being a part of our village.”
Proceeds from the event support the NAACP’s senior scholarship program, which provides $500 scholarships and laptops to qualifying recipients. To join or become a member of NAACP you can visit their website for more information at the Gloucester County NAACP website here.
Autumn Daughtry is a multimedia journalist and community reporter and a recent graduate of Rowan University, where he graduated with a degree in Radio, Television, and Film. She is a Gold Hermes Creative Award recipient with a background in sales, storytelling, media production, and live broadcasting. She can be reached at autumnthemediaproducer@gmail.com.
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