Power & Purpose: Women of Color Spotlight
This page honors the women of color who lead, heal, create, and uplift our communities, often behind the scenes, but always at the heart of change. By sharing their stories, we recognize their impact, affirm their power, and inspire future leaders to rise with purpose.
Bold in the past. Brilliant in the present. Building the future.
Power & Purpose
is a dedicated space that honors the brilliance, resilience, and impact of Women of Color who are making meaningful change in our communities—past, present, and future.
Each month, we spotlight a woman whose work uplifts, inspires, and transforms—whether through art, education, health, activism, entrepreneurship, or grassroots leadership. These women often lead quietly, with bold vision and unwavering purpose, creating ripples of progress that deserve to be seen, celebrated, and supported.
Recognizing Women of Color is not just about acknowledgment—it’s about rewriting the narrative. It’s about shining light on those who are too often overlooked despite being the backbone of families, communities, and movements. This space exists to affirm their power, preserve their stories, and inspire future generations to lead with purpose.
Meet This Month’s Spotlight
We spotlight Celeste Butler not only for the beauty of her quilts, but for the way she stitches community, healing, and legacy into every thread. Her work speaks without words—preserving history, honoring grief, and wrapping love around the stories that matter most.
Celeste Butler
Celeste Butler is a Black woman of many colors. A woman of many “firsts”. Miss Butler, painter, storyteller
is a dedicated distinguished quilt artist from North Omaha who uses her craft, her unique talents to
preserve and share the often-silenced stories, the voices of Black Americans whose history has often been
silenced and attempted to be erased. Ms. Butler believes quilting can tell a irreplaceable, and visual narrative.
Ms. Butler through her quilting honors the resilience and contributions of Black Americans. Continuously ensuring that their stories will prevail.
Celeste’s impact has been recognized through numerous awards and honors, including the OEA Award for
Outstanding Group Show, The Ebb and Flow Between Us, the 2024 Kwanzaa Pillared Award from the Black Agenda Alliance, and a Lala artist fellowship.
In 2024 out of 242 artists, Ms. Celeste Butler was one of the 16 artists selected to create a permanent public artwork for Omaha's newest Central Public Library.
Her powerful work—weaving the common threads that connect the stories of life—has been showcased
at the Culxr House, Omaha Public Library, The Durham Museum, Fim Streams, Bemis Carver Bank, Love’s
Jazz, Museum of Nebraska Art, the Washington Post, We Don’t Coast and Omaha Inspired Living just to name a few.
In 2017, she was a Fellow at The Union for Contemporary Art. She participated in the 2018-19 Kent
Bellows Artist Mentoring Program and the WHYARTS Artist in Residency program.
Recently, at the Tribute to Women event on June 25, 2025, Ms. Butler’s was recognized by the Women’s
Center for Advancement’s Tribute to Women for her incredible artistic impressions.
Celeste has worked on several community-engaged art projects with residents celebrating the pride and
culture of North Omaha. She has collaborated with mothers who have lost their children to violence. As an
in-school artist-in-residence, Butler worked with children at Nelson Mandela and Saratoga Elementary
Schools teaching students the art of quilting and storytelling. Butler also lectures and teaches at Metropolitan Community College.
Recent exhibitions include the Burgwin Wright House Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina; and the
Nelson Mandela 100th birthday celebration, with one of the quilts on display at a sister school in South
Africa.
Celeste Butler, Conversations with Cheryl Weston pays tribute to you for all your outstanding work and all the selfless contributions you have given the community as our first Woman of Color, Making a Difference, the Past, the Present, and the Future segment.
Follow Her On All Social Media Sites
Nominate a Woman of Purpose
Every community has women whose impact runs deep—leading with strength, love, resilience, and vision. The Power & Purpose: Women of Color Spotlight exists to shine a light on these everyday heroes whose work often goes unrecognized, yet touches countless lives.
We invite you to nominate a woman who inspires, uplifts, and leads with purpose—whether she’s a teacher, artist, business owner, activist, healer, mother, mentor, or community builder. By lifting up their stories, we not only honor their contributions, but we inspire others to lead, serve, and believe in their power to create change.
Your voice helps tell the full story of our community. Nominate a woman of purpose today.
Ella Josephine Baker (December 13, 1903 – December 13, 1986) was an African-American civil rights and human rights activist. She was a largely behind-the-scenes organizer whose career spanned more than five decades.
Nooyi has consistently ranked among the world's 100 most powerful women. In 2014, she was ranked at number 13 on the Forbes list, and the second most powerful woman on the Fortune list in 2015 and 2017.
Maya Angelou (/ˈændʒəloʊ/ ⓘ AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist.
Ella Josephine Baker (December 13, 1903 – December 13, 1986) was an African-American civil rights and human rights activist. She was a largely behind-the-scenes organizer whose career spanned more than five decades.
To nominate your Woman of Purpose send her name, her title, and why she should be nominated to cwcwomaha@gmail.com
She’s going viral all over social media for how young and vibrant she is!!
She broke barriers and made history in a time when the newsroom didn’t reflect the community it served From covering powerful stories to inspiring generations of Black journalists, Barbara Boyd is a true trailblazer!
Now she’s going viral all over social media for how young and vibrant she is!!
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"Black & Brown Success" is a positive media platform for the black community, give them a follow and visit their website for more successisus.co