One woman’s search for sisterhood online has brought thousands of women together in New Jersey.

Last year, Shanique Taliaferro said she was searching for an online community of Black women in New Jersey who she could form authentic connections with. But after searching Facebook for a group and coming up with nothing, she said she decided to start one herself.

“I wanted to create a community where we could come together and laugh and share in our struggles, support each other’s businesses,” Taliaferro said. “It’s OK for us to put those superwoman capes down and be authentically ourselves, and I wanted to create something so we could actually do that. Sometimes we are so caught up with all our other roles, we don’t even allow ourselves self-care time or social time.”

March marks one year since Taliaferro created the group, Black Women New Jersey. The page has since expanded on Facebook and now over 9,000 people have joined the group.

“To be honest with you, when I started it, I was thinking it would be a small community of women who did social things, who supported each other’s businesses, who we could support and have those real-life conversations. And let me tell you it just moved like a wildfire,” Taliaferro said.

The members of the group include women from across the state, including Taliaferro, who are looking for a sisterhood. She says their conversations have moved beyond social media with many taking part in meet ups.

Last summer, the community had over 100 women go for a beach day at the shore. They also had more than 500 people attend an early viewing for the movie the Color Purple.

To celebrate the group’s 1-year anniversary, Black Women New Jersey will hold an inaugural gala this month at the Park Chateau in East Brunswick.