April Frazier Camara: Moving Women Forward
August 10, 2020
The D.C. Bar presents the series “Conventionally Unconventional: Wellness Practices During the Pandemic,” spotlighting how D.C. Bar members are maintaining their mental health and assisting others using unconventional means in this time of crisis.
In times of great unrest, our purpose calls to us; it leaves us feeling unsettled and pulls us into action. As news of the global pandemic constantly swirls around, many people’s purpose in life is shifting right along with the times. This has certainly been the case for local attorney April Frazier Camara.
Many years ago, Camara felt the undeniable draw to practice law as a public defender in the District of Columbia. In her view, giving voice to those who are farthest away from power and resources was a noble cause and remains so.
However, as Camara worked as a defender, one thing began to stand out: Her female colleagues were shrinking in number. A June 2020 article published in the ABA Journal titled “Majority of Minority Female Lawyers Consider Leaving Law” notes the startling reality. According to the article, “women of color have the highest rate of attrition from law firms as they continue to face firm cultures where their efforts and contributions are neither sufficiently recognized nor rewarded.”
With a unique understanding of the issues facing successful women of color, Camara’s larger purpose began to take shape. “I uniquely understood why women were leaving the law because they could not embrace their full selves and be valued. My mission was to build a community for women of color that allows them to fully embrace themselves and design a life they love,” she says.
As a result of her tenacity to see women succeed, Women of Purpose Impacting the World was born. “I created Women of Purpose during one of the most difficult periods in my life. I was struggling to find balance with work while raising my two young daughters, and while knowing that there were other parts of my life that I wanted to explore outside being an attorney,” Camara says.
During this self-discovery period, Camara says she lost her mentor and second mother to cancer. “During her last months, we spent valuable time together talking about life and how precious our time on this earth is, and she encouraged me to share my full purpose with the world and ‘be smart and follow your heart.’ The creation of Women of Purpose is my tribute to her life and legacy, and it protected my mental health during one of the most challenging times in my life,” says Camara.
In her role as wife and mother, she understands that women often place themselves in the backseat of their own life story for the good of everyone else. To Camara, this is unacceptable. Given the state of affairs due to COVID-19, she knows that women will be overworked and overburdened with family and work obligations. She insists, however, that this is the time for women to remember their passions and design a life they love.
Introducing the notion of empowerment through online workshops and coaching sessions, Camara offers a dedicated and open space for women to catch their breath and just be. “That’s why I founded Women of Purpose. I get to help successful and passionate women design a life they love by embracing their complete power and purpose through an action-oriented strategy. We can change the world through intentional goal setting 30 days at a time.”
Empowering women is one of many ways Camara is pushing society forward. She is a co-founder of the Black Public Defender Association (BPDA) and is chief of lifelong learning for the National Legal Aid & Defender Association. During her years as a public defender, Camara saw reoccurring patterns. The overwhelming majority of people involved in the system are black and find themselves trapped in poverty through institutions of racism and oppression, but public defenders very rarely highlight the connection between race and the criminal justice system in their advocacy. This stark realization drove Camara to establish BPDA and pivot to civil rights work with a focus on race and criminal justice.
For more information on Women of Purpose, visit www.aprilfcamara.com.
June P. Johnson is an attorney, yoga instructor, and founder of True Bliss Television.
