I remember the day George Zimmerman was acquitted very vividly. I spent the week leading to the verdict watching the trial in dismay, mourning Trayvon’s death, and hopefully expecting the change America had been promising me. And then, the fear of an adult white man was worth more than a black boy’s life. There was not much that could console me, because all the deepest fears about the world I lived in were confirmed. I buried my grief concerning racial injustice under the Cross. I acknowledged that what I needed, the hope I had in America, had to be redirected to the Savior.

The Zimmerman trial were years before I would give birth to my son...years before I would march down Cottage Grove with #MamasoftheMovement. But, the brokenness that I experienced from the Zimmerman trial is still very real to me. It changed how I approached justice. I vowed to do more than hashtag. I vowed to create real change. I vowed to be the change. Today, I am the wife to a Black man. He and I are raising two black children. I am the CEO of the first collaborative space for Black Christian female professionals. And although all those things have changed, I still find myself at the Cross burying my grief. But, this time is different. This time, you are here with me. I hope to create a gathering at the feet of the Savior that allows us to fight injustice through prayer. This time I know my grief is a shared experience. This time I have a platform and a responsibility.

All together, but separate
On May 23, the 18th Ward Alderman Derrick Curtis, the Greater Chicago Food Depository and a host of community partners held a community food giveaway.  Our home, Monument of Faith Evanglistic Church and our Private Office Partner, The Legacy Group, were among the organizers. In the era of Covid-19, food giveaways and community events are both needed and daunting. The alderman, businesses and churches from the 18th Ward found a way to answer the need for the community. Cars were ushered through an assembly line where they were loaded with jam-packed boxes of produce and a pail of essential supplies from Lowe's. Hundreds of boxes were donated to members of the community and our founder got a welcomed opportunity to see Apostle Mark Henton and Quiana Hardy. 

"It was awesome to see how all these different entities worked to bring the ward together. It was also an awesome way to begin our work of building the 31:17 impact," 31:17 Founder, Markeyla Henton said.  ​

31:17 is a safe space dedicated to empowering women of faith and providing the proper resources to prosper in their personal and professional growth. Our commitment is to create a community where our members are surrounded by influential women striving to build their spiritual strength, accomplish their entrepreneurial goals and grow their tribe. We are thrilled to officially announce we are opening the virtual membership to grow our family of women.

Our Virtual Space is packed with amenities and events!
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Guided Group Chat Hour | Every Weekday
Endless notifications from group chats can be annoying! Our conversations will be led by our team to dive deeper into building meaningful relationships. 
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Weekly Thrive Sessions | Thursdays
Join us for weekly group coworking sessions where we hold each other accountable to achieve our daily goals. We will pray, work independently and come back together to check in on what we accomplished at the end of the session.

Water Walker Solutions Hour | Thursdays
A mastermind twist of a support group, an opportunity to share obstacles or issues you are facing when it comes to your business or career and how we can work together to find that solution.

Group Sermon Sessions | Every Other Tuesday
You are not alone, our group sermon sessions will empower us to keep moving forward by offering virtual fellowship. We will host a watch party for a sermon and spend time reviewing the Word for healing, learning, accountability, and spiritual strategy.