On June 5, I had the honor of attending the Women United to Win luncheon, a program of National Empowerment Group, Inc. Featured in a previous article, this luncheon recognized the contributions of women in multiple fields—nonprofit, for-profit, community service and activism, to name a few. It was a day of recognition, music, dance, and empowering speakers. This was also the first luncheon in its 13-year history to honor both women and girls, and I would like to take a moment to spotlight one of the honorees, Ms. Moriah Pye.
Moriah is in her junior year at the Math and Science Academy in Woodbury, Minn. A Girl Scout and an A-honor roll student, Moriah has a passion for art and community services, winning prizes for her artwork at the Minnesota State Fair and packing COVID-19 care packages for seniors in her community. At her school, she currently leads the International Club, which informs people about the different cultures and diversities worldwide.
In her commitment to impacting and changing lives, Moriah’s Girl Scout project and initiative, Beauty Through the Lens, has a mission: to provide visual health care information and services to people in developing countries to address the issue of visual impairment. Partnering with Project Safety Nets, she is collecting new and used prescription and reading glasses in good condition, as well as sunglasses. They will be sent to people in Senegal, West Africa and other countries on the African continent, along with information about proper eye care for the recipients.
Readers, if you or someone you know has glasses you no longer need, please consider donating them. You can also support Moriah’s effort by collecting glasses as well. In the words of author Sharon Botts Garth, “When you change the narrative, you change the perception.” Moriah Pye is a young Black woman who is actively changing the narrative in her effort to provide access to proper eyewear for populations in need.
Moriah’s project, along with information on common eye diseases, can be found on her Beauty Through the Lens website at https://kipconsult.wixsite.com/my-site-1 . Heartiest congratulations to you, Moriah, for making a positive difference!
W.D. Foster-Graham
W.D. Foster-Graham is a native son of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received a B.A. in psychology from Luther College, and he was an original member of the multi-Grammy-Award-winning ensemble, Sounds of Blackness. He has also been recognized by the International Society of Poets as one of its “Best New Poets of 2003,” is a guest writer for journalist/author/entertainer Wyatt O’Brian Evans.
