RALEIGH — Several thousand women came to Raleigh's Civic Center Saturday for tips on better managing their lives and focusing on success. Keynote speaker was Rolanda Watts, a Winston-Salem native who has hosted a tv talk show.

"Women's Empowerment and Networking '97" was aimed at African-American women between the ages of 25 and 54, and consisted of seminars on education, health, image, communication and financial management. Also popular were the vendors, who offered clothing, art, jewelry, insurance and classes.

Watts, the daughter of a dentist, spoke for an hour, using her own career moves to demonstrate empowerment. She took in stride kidding about a recent marriage proposal from singer James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, declaring no wedding is in the offing.

Many women attended the conference to network and share experiences.