Mesidor PLLC Presents the PowHER Dining Experience Featuring Karine Jean-Pierre

When Black women gather with intention, something shifts.

On February 9, 2026, that shift was felt in Westbury, New York, where the PowHER Dining Experience presented by Black Women of Long Island (BWLI) in partnership with Mesidor PLLC brought together leadership, advocacy, and collective power at the Black-owned Post 270 restaurant.

Mesidor PLLC and BWLI helped convene a room where influence, advocacy, and community met in conversation with former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. At the center of it all stood a shared commitment: expanding power, protecting voice, and honoring the leadership of Black women.

An Introduction That Framed the Moment

Founder and Chief Visionary Officer Marjorie Mesidor introduced Jean-Pierre with candor and conviction. What a powerful moment between two women of Haitian descent whose journeys reflect both resilience and responsibility.

“At the state of the political climate where we are today,” she shared, “where Black women are reminded constantly every day that our voices are not protected and not elevated, nor are they amplified, it is a very important moment in which this book is being released, not only to speak about our experience and our existence, but to speak into our spirit and our souls.”

She acknowledged the extraordinary pressure Jean-Pierre carried as the first Black woman and first openly LGBTQ+ White House Press Secretary:

“There was no room that was more pressure than that room. And she didn’t only need to be perfect, but she needed to be bulletproof.”

The introduction set the tone for what followed: a conversation rooted in truth.

A Book Born from Urgency

Jean-Pierre discussed her new book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines, explaining that it was not the book she initially intended to write.

She described witnessing a political climate that felt “really scary” and choosing to use her platform to start a broader conversation.

“Hope is action,” she said. “We have to make sure we stand up for each other, especially vulnerable communities.”

The book’s presence was felt throughout the evening. Enlarged covers framed the space, and Jean-Pierre personally signed copies for VIP guests, reinforcing that the conversation was not just reflective, it was forward-looking.

A Call to Protect Black Women in the Workplace

In one of the most resonant moments of the night, Jean-Pierre highlighted a sobering statistic: hundreds of thousands of Black women have lost their jobs over the past year.

“That’s devastating,” she said plainly.

In a room filled with Black women during Black History Month, the weight of that reality was unmistakable.

For Mesidor PLLC, the statement struck at the core of our work. As a firm dedicated to representing employees facing discrimination, retaliation, and unlawful termination, we see firsthand how economic displacement disproportionately impacts Black women.

Black History Month is a time to honor legacy, but it is also a time to confront present inequities.

Empowerment without protection is incomplete.

Representation and Responsibility

Jean-Pierre spoke candidly about the pressure of being “the first.”

“When you’re a first and you’re not supposed to be in that position or in the room, no one has ever looked like you in that position, you are not given the same grace as anybody before you.”

Her remarks illuminated a truth many women in the room understood intimately: representation carries both visibility and vulnerability.

That intersection, power and protection, is precisely where Mesidor PLLC operates.

Continuing the Work

The PowHER Dining Experience was not simply a celebration of achievement. It was a reminder that progress requires vigilance and that power must be protected.

As Black women continue to break barriers in boardrooms, courtrooms, classrooms, and the highest levels of government, Mesidor PLLC remains committed to ensuring that their voices are not only elevated, but legally protected.

Because representation without protection leaves women exposed.

Protection turns power into permanence.

If you or someone you know is experiencing workplace discrimination, retaliation, or harassment, we encourage you to seek counsel. Our work does not end in rooms of influence. It begins in the workplaces where equity must be enforced.

Learn more about our mission. Partner with us. Stand with us.