Beyond the Power: Honoring the Strength, Softness, and Power of Black Women
- Natasha Parker
- 2 hours ago
- 8 min read
“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.” — Malcolm X
Every day, all you have to do is scroll through social media or look at some of the laws being implemented by the government to realize that this statement still rings true 60 years later. So, who do we turn to when it feels like the world is against us and doesn’t appreciate us? That’s exactly why we need women like SLNextLevel Agency's CEO Gen Johnson; the 19-time award-winning publicist whose mantra is, “I do this for the girls who thought they could never win.”
We had the pleasure of attending SLNextLevel Agency’s Beyond the Power Honors, an event that gave flowers to women who are true powerhouses; women who demonstrate excellence, artistry, fearlessness, and what it truly means to be a “girls’ girl” in industries like hip hop and entertainment.
The event was a beautiful example of what it means to be in community. From the energy in the room to the celebration of Black women uplifting one another, every moment felt intentional and inspiring.
We were able to catch up with Gen after the event to discuss what inspired her to create Beyond the Power Honors, the message she hopes women take away from it, and why it’s so important to create safe spaces where Black women can feel seen, celebrated, and supported.
Since May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, we also touched on the harmful stereotype that Black women must always be “strong.” While strength has long been attached to Black womanhood, many women are now challenging the idea that strength must come at the expense of softness, vulnerability, rest, and mental wellness.
Beyond the Power Honors wasn’t just an awards show it was a reminder that Black women deserve to be honored while they are still here to receive their flowers.
W4TC: Congratulations on another successful Beyond the Power Awards. What inspired you to create this event, and what does it personally mean to you?
GJ: Thank you so much! Beyond the Power was born out of something very personal. I am a woman who has worn many hats — CEO, publicist, mother, wife, daughter, sister — and I know firsthand what it feels like to be carrying the weight of the world while still being expected to show up and perform at the highest level. I created this event because I needed a room like this to exist. A room where women are not just celebrated for what they have accomplished, but honored for who they are and what they have overcome to get there. Personally, this event is my heart. Every detail, every award, every word — I poured myself into it because I believe these women deserve nothing less than excellence.
W4TC: The Beyond the Power Awards celebrates powerful and influential voices. What message do you hope attendees and honorees take away from the experience each year?
GJ: I want every woman who walks into that room to leave feeling seen. Not just applauded — but truly seen. I want them to understand that their story matters, their struggles are not shameful, and their success is not an accident. I want the honorees to walk away knowing that someone took the time to recognize not just their highlight reel but the real journey behind it. And I want every attendee to leave inspired to go back into their own lives and operate beyond their own power — trusting that God has something greater waiting for them on the other side of their fear.
W4TC: This event highlights empowerment, resilience, and leadership, especially among Black women. Why is it so important to create spaces like this in today's society?
GJ: Because we are still not seen enough. We are still not celebrated enough. Black women are the most educated, most entrepreneurial, most resilient group in this country — and yet we are still underrepresented, underfunded, and often overlooked. We carry so much silently. We build so much without recognition. Beyond the Power exists to change that narrative. We need spaces where Black women are not the afterthought — we are the entire room. That is not just empowering, that is healing. And in today's climate, healing is radical and necessary.
W4TC: What were some of your favorite moments or standout highlights from this year's Beyond the Power Awards?
GJ: Honestly every moment felt like a gift but if I had to choose — the panel. Watching those women sit on that stage and speak their truth so openly and unapologetically — that was everything. The room got quiet in the best way. You could feel it shift. People were nodding, wiping tears, pulling out their phones to write things down. That is what I built this for. I also have to say that honoring women like Kendra Robinson, LightSkinKeisha, Demetria McKinney, and all of our incredible honorees — watching them receive their moment — that will stay with me forever. And truthfully, just finishing. I planned every single detail of this event myself. I wrote everything. I built everything. So standing in that room and watching it come to life — that was my favorite moment.
W4TC: As an award-winning publicist, you've worked with so many incredible individuals. How do you decide who embodies the spirit of the Beyond the Power Awards?
GJ: It is never about fame alone. It is about impact. It is about the woman behind the brand — her story, her resilience, her ability to keep going when the world was not always rooting for her. I look for women who have used their platform to pour back into others. Women who have not let success harden them but have instead let it deepen them. I ask myself — does her story make someone else feel less alone? Does her presence in that room make the room better? If the answer is yes, she belongs at Beyond the Power.
W4TC: May is Mental Health Awareness Month. How important is it for public figures, entrepreneurs, and creatives to openly discuss mental health?
GJ: It is everything. It is life or death — and I mean that literally. When public figures stay silent about their struggles, it sends a message to the rest of the world that struggling is something to be ashamed of. But when we speak openly — when we say "I have anxiety, I have had dark seasons, I have had to choose myself" — we give other people permission to do the same. As entrepreneurs especially, we are taught to project strength at all times. But that pressure is destroying people quietly. I believe it is our responsibility to use our platforms to normalize getting help, setting boundaries, and choosing rest without guilt.
W4TC: In industries that are often fast-paced and high-pressure, what are some ways you prioritize your own mental wellness and self-care?
GJ: I will be honest — I am still learning this. I am a work in progress and I think it is important to say that. But what I have committed to is protecting my mornings, protecting my peace, and protecting my circle. I pray. I spend time with my family — my husband, my children — and I let that ground me. I have learned to say no without explaining myself. I have learned that not everything deserves my energy and not everyone deserves access to me. I also have to give myself grace. I struggle with anxiety and I have had to learn that anxiety does not make me weak — it makes me human. Self-care for me is choosing myself consistently, even when the work is calling.
W4TC: Many women, especially Black women, are often expected to be "strong" all the time. What advice would you give to women learning to balance strength with vulnerability and rest?
GJ: I would tell them that rest is not a reward — it is a requirement. Strength without rest is not power, it is survival. And we deserve more than survival. I would also tell them that vulnerability is not weakness — it is courage. It takes far more strength to say "I am not okay" than to pretend that you are. The strongest thing I have ever done was admit that I needed help, that I was tired, that I could not do it all alone. Give yourself permission to be human. The world will not fall apart if you rest. But you might, if you don't.
W4TC: Do you believe events like the Beyond the Power Awards can also serve as a form of healing and encouragement for the community? Why or why not?
GJ: Absolutely, without question. When you sit in a room full of women who look like you, who have fought like you, who have survived like you — something shifts on the inside. You stop feeling alone. You start believing that if she made it, so can I. That is healing. That is the kind of medicine that no prescription can replicate. I have seen women walk into Beyond the Power carrying something heavy and walk out lighter. That is not an accident — that is intentional. I designed this event to be an experience that to
W4TC: What conversations around mental health do you think society still needs to have, particularly within the Black community?
GJ: We need to talk about generational trauma and how it lives in our bodies. We need to talk about the fact that "being strong" was a survival mechanism our ancestors needed — but we are allowed to put that down now. We need to talk about therapy without stigma, about medication without shame, about boundaries without guilt. We need to talk about how success can be lonely and how high-achieving people are not immune to depression or burnout. And we need to have these conversations in our churches, in our barbershops and salons, at our family dinners — not just at conferences. Healing has to become part of our everyday culture, not just a trending topic in May
W4TC: For young women aspiring to work in media, publicity, or entertainment, what lessons about confidence, purpose, and mental wellness would you want them to remember?
GJ: Know your worth before you walk into any room — because this industry will try to tell you what you are worth and it will almost always undervalue you. Know your purpose and let that be your anchor because this industry is noisy and it will pull you in a hundred directions if you let it. And protect your mental health like it is your most valuable asset — because it is. Do not sacrifice your peace for proximity. Do not lose yourself chasing a seat at a table that was not built for you. Build your own table. That is what SL Next Level is. That is what Beyond the Power is. I did not wait for someone to give me a platform — I built one. And you can too.
W4TC: What's next for you and the Beyond the Power Awards, and what legacy do you hope this platform continues to leave behind?
GJ: Beyond the Power is just getting started. My vision is to take this platform national — to have Beyond the Power in multiple cities, reaching more women, honoring more stories, and creating more rooms where excellence is celebrated and healing is welcomed. I also want to grow the SL Next Level Foundation and expand our mental health and wellness programming so that we are not just putting on events — we are creating lasting change in the community. As for legacy — I want women to look back at Beyond the Power and say that this was the event that made them feel like they mattered. That this was the night they stopped shrinking. That this was the room where they remembered who they were. That is the legacy. Not the awards, not the accolades — but the lives that were changed in that room. That is what I am building. And I am just getting started.
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