Advisory Board Spotlight: Miriam James

“I just love to empower women and girls — to speak up, to get involved, to make a difference. No matter how big or small, I try to always make a positive change,” says Miriam James, Community Fund for Women & Girls Advisory Board member. 
James has always been an agent for change. When she first joined the Advisory board for the Community Fund for Women & Girls, she was struck by the caliber of women on the board, and wasn’t sure initially what she could possibly add to the mix. Having been raised in a family that prioritized service to others, James quickly found her footing. 
“When all of us raise our voices in support of gender equity, it serves to amplify and raise the awareness that yes, this is something that is important for the future of our girls — and here’s why it is important for you, too,” she says. 

As the third vice president for the New Haven Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW), she’s seen first hand how grants from the Fund for Women & Girls have changed the way middle and high school girls see themselves and their capabilities. Through their STEAM program, the women of the NCBW coach and mentor girls to foster interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math — and just last year (2023) the New Haven Chapter had girls place first and second in a national competition. 

“These young women didn’t think they could do this, to get an award!” she recalls. “To see the increased confidence in these girls after that — it’s wonderful!”

 The New Haven Chapter of the NCBW is part of the Fund’s Girls of Color Mentoring Network. Because of her roles in community organizations and with the Fund, James has valuable insights into how pooled resources strengthen communities.  “Seeing the transformation in mothers and children who are proud of themselves and their achievements — that is why I do this work,” she says. “Knowing that your work, along with the work of so many others, has had a positive, lasting impact on the life of a mother and child is incredible.”