Story by Heather Stevens. Photos provided by Soulstice Consultancy.
Just as the summer and winter solstice is a change of seasons, Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew hopes that when people encounter her or her work, they, too, experience a change in their soul and spirit.
With 25-plus years of experience and measurable impact, she is a force that brings value to all spaces. Dr. Booker Drew is widely considered a community treasure in Dallas, with her magnetic energy and thoughtful nature. She is the type of person who puts you at ease without even trying and makes you want to continue listening to her.
It was a sunny afternoon as we started our visit with Dr. Booker-Drew and her newly adopted grand-kitten, who pounced at her throughout the duration of our conversation. That kitten, known as “Kitty Meow Meow,” wanted all her attention, and she did a good job managing both.
Dr. Booker-Drew founded Soulstice Consultancy, which she runs with her daughter. Her company provides consultations, training, and coaching to individuals and organizations focused on making a meaningful and measurable impact in their communities. Her services focus on nonprofit management, philanthropy, change management, leadership, DBIE, and capacity building.
Dr. Booker-Drew says she focuses on inspired and innovative ideas for the future. For her, work is not just transactional business– it uses her full skills, spirit, and expertise to create transformation in our communities.
When asked about her inspirations, she mentions her parents. If you know Dr. Booker-Drew, you know that family means everything to her. The woman we see today is a direct reflection of the time she spent throughout her childhood in Shreveport, Louisiana.
“My parents taught me so many valuable lessons,” Dr. Booker-Drew says. “My parents had no idea they were teaching me to become a philanthropist.”
Dr. Booker-Drew says she witnessed her parents feeding the homeless, visiting the elderly, and bringing cards and money to those who were sick. She saw her parents volunteer for causes that were important.
She had no idea at that time that they were planting the seeds of giving that would last throughout her life. Sometimes, they volunteered her to join them, but they also talked to her about the important things in life while peeling fifty pounds of shrimp for their restaurant.
“My parents made such a difference in my life,” Dr. Booker-Drew shares. “It wasn’t that giving was something outside the norm or something special. Giving is a part of who I am, and being a part of my community started as a kid. I saw that I didn’t lose anything by sharing. Sharing my time, talent, testimony, and treasure with others is what life is about.”
In her youth, she was actively engaged in her local community. Seeds were sown not only by her parents but through opportunities such as marching with Dick Gregory. She realized that the world was much bigger than her hometown, and the causes surrounding the community were larger than she knew. She gained a voice to stand up for herself and found a path to give back.
Some of Dr. Booker-Drew’s greatest influences beyond her parents are Juanita Craft, Margie Reese, and Vickie Meek.
Dr. Booker-Drew shares that, in her opinion, Dallas is doing better. She had a few words of advice to continue moving in this positive direction: “In philanthropy, we need to learn community before we do the data – we want community to be more than its statistics. People first, data later. When the stories match the data, we have a marriage of impact that can create transformation for good.”
Dr. Booker-Drew has received many honors for her work and involvement, the more recent of which include the 2023 Women of Wisdom, the 2023 Texas Women’s Foundation Maura Award, the 2022 United Way of Dallas Public Service Award, and the 2022 CitySquare Hometown Hero, among many others.
She has served as a workshop presenter at the United Nations on Access to Power and was part of the documentary Friendly Captivity. This film followed a cast of seven women from Dallas to India. Dr. Booker-Drew is the author of four books, including the recent award-winning Empowering Charity: A New Narrative of Philanthropy (Baylor Press, 2022).
She has also taught at several universities including Capital Seminary and Graduate School, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of North Texas at Dallas, and was a post-doctoral fellow at Antioch University. She is currently an adjunct at Tulane University and was voted Distinguished Faculty Member in 2021 and is a research affiliate at Antioch University.
Collaboration is at the center of everything that Dr. Booker-Drew does. Locally, she spends a lot of her time with For Oak Cliff, ACLU, Engage Dallas, Forest Forward, and Buckner International. When she’s not creating strong collaborations and community impact, Froswa’ enjoys spending time with family and friends, writing, reading, and listening to music.
To learn more about Dr. Booker-Drew and Soulstice Consultancy, you can visit her website here.
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