Syracuse Organization empowers Black women into becoming ‘Fearless Queens’
Courtesy of Tommi Billingsley
Victoria Coit (right) is a member of Fearless Queens, run by Tommi Billingsley, and she believes the organization helps Black women rediscover their confidence.
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UPDATED: Feb. 25, 2021 at 9:37 p.m.
One night in 2016, Tommi Billingsley saw a phoenix in her dream and described it as a “rebirth.” The dream drove her to create the organization Fearless Queens.
“It was just all about inspiring, uplifting, motivating, encouraging and teaching other women like myself,” Billingsley said. “To tap into the power that we possess within ourselves, to loving ourselves on a deeper level (and) to do it unafraid.”
Fearless Queens is an organization of Black women seeking to empower each other through sisterhood and solidarity to help their own communities. The organization holds events, panels and workshops for female business owners and entrepreneurs to promote and sell their products. In January, Fearless Queens received $4,600 from the CNY Community Foundation for their initiative Queens Level Up.
Queens Level Up provides workshops and networking opportunities for Black women. Members virtually meet with Billingsley three times a month and are provided expert advice based on the needs of the community.
The organization now has more than 200 members and holds workshops on professional development topics such as finance, marketing and branding.
Fearless Queens holds an annual brunch where women can network and build relationships with other like-minded individuals. In the past, guest speakers have included entertainment manager and entrepreneur Yandy Smith-Harris and American media personality, author, actress and businesswoman Juju Castaneda, who both star in the TV show “Love and Hip Hop: New York.”
Billingsley has considered herself an entrepreneur since 2004, when she started selling boots out of the trunk of her 2004 Oldsmobile Intrigue. Since then, she has also worked as a food vendor and owned a clothing line.
After two years, Billingsley was proud of her success as a clothes vendor but wanted to try a new industry. In 2006, she bought a hot dog vending cart, a grill and received the permits to start selling from her cart.
“I got connected and created a business line with Maine’s market,” Billingsley said. “We had Smith’s restaurant equipment, and I found somewhere that I could set it up.”
The idea of expression and self-love became the root of Fearless Queens. Courtesy of Tommi Billingsley
In 2013, Billingsley launched her clothing line Flygirlishh, which stands for “forever love yourself.” She managed that business for four years and wanted to inspire women to love themselves and be confident when they wore her clothing, she said.
Her passion to provide and set good examples for her family and the Black community has driven her entrepreneurial drive. But in 2015, Billingsley was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She told no one about her diagnosis and burnt herself out working to the point where she reexamined her purpose in life.
“My whole life changed because I realized that I had to love myself on a deeper level than what I was,” Billingsley said. “I realized that I was playing small. My dream was to just touch one woman at a time. And I still do believe in that. But it was like, no, I need to do something bigger.”
This idea of expression and self-love became the root of Fearless Queens. It is meant to rediscover the confidence that Black women rarely see in mainstream media so they can understand their power and worthiness, Fearless Queens member Victoria Coit said.
“We self-sacrifice for our family, for our men, for our children,” Coit said. “As a result of that, we don’t take care of ourselves as much as we should.”
Collaborators have come into the organization to provide healing and direction in these safe and vulnerable spaces. Ebony Tutora — a spiritual coach — focuses on healing, mindfulness and mindset mastery through her holistic coaching brand Queens Recognize Queens. Tutora, just like Billingsley, pushes for sisterhood, love and compassion for each other.
“Sisterhood is that code of you help your sister no matter what,” Tutora said. “You help her rise no matter what.”
Billingsley sees a bright future not only for Fearless Queens but for every woman she can help become the best version of themselves.
“I believe in the queen being the foundation of the tree, the vessel of her community,” Billingsley said. “When the queen is striving and she is blossoming and growing and facing her fears, she’s able to shift the entire community”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated that Fearless Queens is a nonprofit. The Daily Orange regrets this error.
Published on February 24, 2021 at 8:46 pm
