Simone Gordon and The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation is celebrating the Third Annual Purple Diamond Awards on Saturday November 5, 2022 from 6:00 pm to 11 pm EST at The Newark Museum of Art located at 49 Washington Street, Newark NJ. The Black Fairy Godmother was founded by Simone Gordon and is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. It was founded by the power of networking and supports black and brown marginalized families.
Their goal is “not to only provide relief but to help them get to a place of stability and equip them with the proper tools and support so they may sustain themselves going forward.” The Purple Diamond awards honors those in the community Who have achieve their goals for bettering their lives.
I spoke with Simone who explained why she created the foundation and her trials a tribulations regarding her own challenges…..
I love that they call you the black fairy godmother. How did you get that name?
People on the internet called me the fairy godmother and I’m a black woman so they called me the black fairy godmother.
So, tell me a little bit about your event. What it is and what they can attendees expect?
Our event is the 3rd annual Purple Diamond Awards on November 5th at the Newark museum. It is a charity because we are a 501(c)(3). What we do is we recognize all of the majority of the activists and nonprofits who are making a difference in this world, but are not being recognized for their efforts. We provide them with special tables, we provide them with awards, we invite the public to come out, we network and we showcase all the great work that they are doing. Of course, we have live entertainment. This year we have Kenny Lattimore and Jay Fred who will get us grooving. But it’s all about the issues that are affecting the marginalized community. What we do is we speak on it, and we try to raise funds for families that need it.
What inspired you to start doing this?
I am a marginalized mom, and I lost my job years ago. My son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. I reached out to many big nonprofits, I reached out to social services. Doors were being slammed and some of my questions were not being answered. So, I got defeated and as a mom with a child with a disability you learn the things you can do on your own. So, I decided to go to social media and ask people where can I get the resources. At the time there was a Facebook friend who told me about a group, a special group that helps women like myself. So, I joined that group. I introduced myself. I introduced a nice picture of my son and explained that I don’t want money, I just want resources and here’s what I need. I need for my son to receive therapy service which he was still on a waiting list for 6 months. I need help with his depends. I wanted to go back to school. There were 4 strangers who I never met who decided to take a chance on me. One reached out to children’s specialized services and wrote to the chairperson and within days I received a call from that hospital and my son received all of the services that he needed. The next person she confided with her husband and explained it that this young lady would like to go back to school and become something. Her husband decided to help me enroll back to community college. I started in 2007, but I dropped out because I was working for a Fortune 500 bank and I was making money at the time until I was let go. They paid for it and they enrolled me in school. And I graduated this past June with an associate’s degree at Essex county college. There was another woman who had a Target card and what she could do is pay monthly for the depends and wipes. I decided all the blessings I was receiving I wanted to start my own group. So, I started fundraising on Facebook. The 4 women that advocated for me and have done so much for me and my son they got their friends to join forces and we created something big that is helping families across America.
How old is your son now?
He’s 12 years old. He’s nonverbal.
That’s tough. That’s really rough, but what you did for you and your son is a really big deal. I think the fact that you’re trying to help other families and other people who need that kind of help, I think that’s a really big deal. And I think that takes a lot of your time and effort. What are you hoping for say in 5 years, or 3 years, or 2 years?
In about 2 to 5 years I’m hoping that I’m able to open chapters of the foundation. So many of us don’t feel hopeless and alone and to have most of the programs that I have online to be in person. And to create transitional housing. So, the families will be able to come to us and to expect to come out with some sort of resolution to the problem that they have. So that’s my goal 2 to 5 years opening up some different chapters and different states and to see if we could help more families not just on social media but in person.
With this event that you’re having, how many people are you hoping will come and how many people does it hold and give me a little more details so that I can help you sell tickets.
No problem. The Newark Museum. We have the whole gallery, the whole auditorium, we have the whole museum. It is 225 seats. So, I’m hoping to at least fill the room with 200 people. That is my dream that is my goal. Because all of the proceeds will go to the families. That’s the beauty of it. Last year we were able to house 10 women who were survivors of domestic violence. We helped them get back into school, and they were able to leave their domestic violence shelter and have a home of their own. That’s why it’s important to us each year to recognize the activists and the non-profits who are doing the work and to use the proceeds to be able to help somebody during the holidays to have a home.
I have to tell you that you really sound professional and you know what you’re doing. I commend you for that. I feel that you have a good voice for what you are doing. Is there anything else that you want to add that I didn’t ask you that I should know about?
If anyone out there would like to be a wish list Angel for a family in need during the holidays they can contact us. Last year we were able to do 500 families and this year we’re hoping to even do more. So, if anybody wants to be generous this holiday season to the foundation that’s a 501(c)(3), it is a tax benefit. Or if they would like to adopt a family for Christmas whether it’s their business or company or just a family, please reach out to the Black Fairy Godmother Foundation. Last year we were really able to give children beds from Amazon. We were able to give children sneakers, coats, the toy that they want. It’s just very important that we spread the love, and try not to just think about the pandemic as just that one time that everybody comes together. I want to continue that momentum with everybody doing the same and being a neighbor again.
The official website for the Black Fairy Godmother Foundation may be found here:
https://www.theblackfairygodmother.org
Tickets and Sponsorship Information –
The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation is a US 501(c)(3) public charity.
For ticket information, go to eventbrite.com/thepurplediamondawardsgala
Interested in sponsoring the Purple Diamond Awards? Click here to review our sponsorship deck – www.publications.unityfirst.com/purplediamondawards2022
Media inquiries – contact Double XXposure – [email protected]