Women’s History Month is about empowering women, their wins, and their stories. Spelman graduate (Class of 2001) and the CEO of Femme It Forward, Heather Lowery, knows all about that. Joined with Live Nation in 2019, Femme It Forward is a women-led entertainment company. Femme It Forward has held multiple live concerts to present its audience to new and famous artists. So far, the company has produced various concerts with notable artists like Ciara, Ari Lennox, Flo Milli, and more. In October, I had the opportunity to sit with Heather. I was nervous the morning of our interview. But, as we started walking around our 39-acre campus and I briefly learned about her experiences at Spelman College, how they impacted her, and how she put her experiences into her work at Femme It Forward, I learned how Spelman College shapes Black women into leaders.
Kylar Gray: Where was your favorite place to eat, hang out with friends, and study?
Heather Lowery: My favorite place to eat was GutBusters. I’m from Delaware, and we love our cheesesteaks and hoagies. The owners were from Philly. So, I would beg my mom to send me money every Friday. After that, my girlfriends and I would meet up and get our cheesesteaks and hoagies. To hang out, I loved being on the strip to see other students on the other campuses walking by. I also would go to my friend’s dorm and hang out with them there. To study, we’d go to our rooms. If we went to the library, it would turn into a club. We called it “Club Woodi.” This tradition is still here today.
Slowly making our way to Sisters Chapel from the Wellness Center, Heather and I have a small bonding moment based on our zodiac signs and life. I loved having this conversation with her because it set the tone for the rest of the interview. Heather told us about her first week, sibling exchange, and freshman year at Spelman.
HL: What’s your sign?
KG: I’m a Libra.
HL: Aww! I’m a Sagittarius. We’re the same! We’re the same in life. We’re human. Don’t be nervous.
Her love for supporting other women shows up in her work and real life. Heather could pick up on my nervous energy throughout this interview. She’d start conversations to assure me to keep going, and we got to know each other.
KG: How was your experience during Orientation Week? Do you remember the experience of receiving your Morehouse Brother? Do you still keep in contact with him?
HL: I moved to Atlanta from Delaware. It was a complete culture shock for me because it was so many Black people. It was so amazing to see us all together. I can’t remember everything, but it was very overwhelming in a great way. It was very beautiful. It was very overwhelming during my first week of Orientation moving from Delaware. I remember the experience of the sibling exchange, but we did not do a good job of keeping the connection.
KG: Were you a part of any clubs at Spelman?
HL: I wasn’t a part of any clubs. I was very quiet, a little shy. The clubs weren’t for me. I should’ve been in some, but it just wasn’t who I was.
KG: What was your major?
HL: I majored in English, Pre-Law with a Spanish minor. You can do anything. It is the foundation. I remember when I graduated, I would never ever read another book ever in life because that’s how much we had to read and write. I think I was about 30 when I started back reading books.
Walking across campus to the freshman dorm, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Hall. Amazed at the renovations over the years, Heather reminds us of her experience staying on campus in her basement of Abby. Here, she reflects and gives her college self advice.
KG: If you could give your college self any advice, what would it be?
HL: I always thought I was different…I thought it was a bad thing, but if you’re different–it is because you’re special. Embrace those and use them as your superpower. I think I’m finally using them now, but I always thought something was wrong with me.
After the tour, I attended the panel discussion with NARS. Heather partnered with NARS for the HBCU Power Series. This event included makeup giveaways, samples, professional headshots, games, and advice. While there, I reflected on the moving advice from each panelist’s stories, listening extra closely to Heather before asking my final question.
KG: What was your “aha” moment when you knew this was your calling?
HL: The “aha” moment happened for me when I started Femme It Forward. Everything I’d ever done in my life started making sense, from attending Spelman College to running a booking agency for 12 years and booking artists. I started wondering, “Why am I doing this?” Once I created Femme It Forward, it was like, “Oh! This is why I did this, this is why this happened, and this is why that experience happened.” Everything that ever happened, good and bad, came full circle. Now, I’m in a position where I can pick and choose who I want to work with. Everything is a lesson. All experiences are lessons. I try to take time from an unpleasant experience and learn from it. I learned to question the experience by embracing the lesson. Starting Femme It Forward put everything into perspective for me.
Upon meeting Heather, I thought she had such a bright and sweet spirit. I loved listening to her answer questions. I took mental notes about my journey at Spelman as an English major a political Science minor. Aside from being nervous and filled with anxious thoughts, I admired her fashionista style! After our interview, I deeply investigated Instagram; her charm shone through her photos. Her support for women and their stories appears on her personal page and the page of Femme It Forward.
As of November 22, 2022, Heather Lowery has continued celebrating women by giving them flowers. Femme It Forwards held its first inaugural GiveHerFlowHERS Gala. Honorees such as Amber Grimes, Mulatto, Muni Long, and more received their flowers on-stage at the event. In addition to the GiveHerFlowHERS Gala, Femme It Forward has a mentorship program for young Black women and girls to receive mentors in multiple entertainment fields. Heather Lowery has done fantastic work with Femme It Forward. Many can not wait to see what else she has in store as she continues to uplift Black women using her platform through Femme It Forward and multiple social media platforms.
Want to keep up with Femme It Forward and Heather Lowery?
Follow here:
Instagram: @HeatherLowery
Instagram/Twitter: @FemmeItForward
