Young, Black and Beautiful...In College: Feature #3: Deborah Bailey

Deborah “Deb” Bailey was born in Kankakee, Illinois, a small town outside of Chicago. Her parents divorced when she was 11. Her biological father was abusive to her mother and an alcoholic, while Deb never got along well with her mother. She and her little sister grew up in the taverns—“When our mother wasn’t home, our dad would take us to the bars. Sometimes we would even sleep on the pool tables,” Deb said.

Deborah’s saving grace was always her grandmother, like so many young girls, even for myself. She started running away from home when she was 14 years old and whenever there was tension between her and her mother she would find refuge with her grandmother or run away. When Deb graduated high school, she wanted to go to college and ended up going to Barber College (hair school), which she paid for with loans. For most of the time Deb could not afford an apartment, so she slept in her car, behind the school, often with a crowbar between her legs for protection.

Desperate to get out of the cycles of poverty and uncertainly, she married “the first person who came along.” She was to find out that the man she had married was a drug dealer. She moved to Florida hoping that things would get better, but they only got worse. One day the police ransacked her house and the Florida FBI told her she had the option to either go to jail or move away and never look back. So Deb chose the later, packed her bags and in March of 1998 moved to Arkansas and she’s been there ever since.

Deb’s trouble still wasn’t over. July 22, 1998 Deb went on a blind date with the man who would eventually become the father of her children, but unfortunately the first 15 years were filled with physical abuse, stress, marriage counseling, and anger management counseling. During this time, Deb was also the manager of a women’s shelter called, The Harbor House, a place she and her two children would often find refuge.

“A lot of times I would cry out to God and ask him where was He? I thought I was a decent person who deserved better! And God would always say, “I’m right here,” Deb said.

In 2000 her grandmother died, who had previously had breast cancer and lost her breast. When she passed away, Deb had a nervous breakdown. It took Deb a while to get back on her feet and part of that process was dependent on self-encouragement. “I would get up everyday and say to myself, “You’re loved, you’re beautiful and you have to go on!”

In August 2005 she began her own medical staffing agency, which provided very lucrative for Deb. It was a nice liberating change, from working bar jobs and living from paycheck to paycheck; but in 2008 one of her business partners stole her business from her and along with the business, went the money and Deb’s ticket to independence. Deb felt like she was back to square one and fell into a great depression for four months. While she was sitting on the side of the bed her son said to her one day, “This is not where God needs you. He has bigger plans for you!” This got Deb to thinking.

Deb recalled that she used to do HR in the past. Because she cannot stand for long periods of time due to the fact that one side of her body is longer than the other, Deb has always had to come up with creative ways to make money. So in November of 2008 she began her radio show, PowerWomen Radio Show, in which she interviews influential women with powerful stories. She did it because she loved it, not sure who or if anyone was listening. Eventually she began getting celebrity clients on her show provided by one of her followers, such as Kim Wayans, Billy Graham’s daughter Ruth Graham, Tracy Gould from Growing Pains the television show, just to name a few and it was miraculous to Deb.

Presently, PowerWomen Magazine is on radio and television. The television show is called Women of Power Next Door. Deb has also won several awards for her work. In August 2011 and February 2012, Power Women Magazine won the Women’s Choice Award for Most Outstanding and Informative magazine. Deb was also nominated for an international radio show host award February 2012. February 2013, she was honored yet again as an International Women’s Leadership Coach.

Not only this, but Deb is an ordained minister and an all around powerhouse! She even conducted a prison “pen pal” ministry for a while and would send packages to soldiers in Iraq every year. Now Deb’s focus is empowering women with the tools they need to push them forward. “I’ve always believed that women should be the ones to help and uplift other women,” Deb said, and surely her life defines that very statement.

PowerWomen’s logo is a set of wings—the reason: One of her best friend’s children asked their mother, “With everything that happened to Ms. Deb, how come nothing’s ever happened to her?” Deb’s friend’s response was, “She’s an angel in disguise! You can’t see it, but she has wings!” Deb has shown and continues to show women everywhere that, “No matter where you begin, your ending can be grand!”