LOUISIANA EDITION
AMPS MAGAZINE American Minority People Succeeding
JAB
JOHNSON Community Clean Up ANTWINE Wedding Volume 1, Issue 3
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“ I DEFINITELY DIDN’T DO IT ALONE.” If you’re thinking of finishing your high school diploma, you have more support than you realize. Find teachers and free adult education classes near you at FinishYourDiploma.org.
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contents VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3
What’s Inside... Community Clean Up ............... 5 Fred Jones .................................... 6 Jab Johnson.................................. 9 Elijah Brass ................................ 10 Back to School Giveaway ......... 13 Lauren Sanders ......................... 17 Micah Jones ............................... 19 Antwine Wedding .................... 21 Shonice Jeanay .......................... 25
His first football season, Isaiah told us, ‘Wear a jersey with my name on it. I want everyone to know you’re here for me.’ Darnell and Denna, adopted 16-year-old Isaiah
the AMPS Monroe Team
Publisher
Connie Morgan
Editor
Brittany Gardenhi
Contributing Photographer WELCHinc photography Kita Wright Connie Morgan
LEARN ABOUT ADOPTING A TEEN YO U C A N ’ T I M AG I N E T H E R E WA R D
A D O P T U S K I D S .O R G
Graphic Designer Gerald Wright
AMPS Monroe is a franchise of AMPS Magazine, a national publication, with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. The magazine is published bi-monthly. AMPS MAGAZINE CORPORATE Orlando, Florida 33837 Page 317-426-7790
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about the publisher Connie Morgan is a native of Columbia, Louisiana. Growing up in a small town has its advantages and disadvantages. Outside of school activities, there wasn’t much to do. But there was always a very strong sense of community support. Everyone is a part of the family. Connie started playing basketball in Elementary School. Early on, her coach recognized her ability to handle the basketball and decided she should be the point guard for her 5th grade basketball team. Connie continued to play basketball throughout High School.
A WORD FROM THE CEO This is our third issue of AMPS Magazine, Monroe Edition. I wanted to take this time to introduce to you, the reader, about AMPS. A.M.P.S. (American-Minority People Succeeding) is where Substance and Style meets Supreme Standards. Our mission is “superior application development through dedicated professionalism while maintaining a customer-centered focus to lead the industry in ideas and creative solutions”. Our events marketing and promotions department is designed to present positive entertainment and events that the Louisiana communities deserve. We specialize in helping brands create a unique connection with consumers at our events as well as create an opportunity for you to meet other business owners, executives, present and future customers, and other socialites. Simply put, “We’re Accomplished By Making You Successful.” Gerald D. Wright CEO Page 4
During Junior High School, Connie discovered she had another passion. She loved taking pictures. She wanted to be, both, in front of and behind the lens. She was also inspired by the news reporters that she watched on TV. She knew that was what she wanted to do. While in High School, she began working for her aunt and uncle’s local newspaper to earn spending money. Eventually she was offered her own column at the newspaper. She began writing the Columbia news. It gave her the ability to enter the world that she admired from afar. Connie would interview people within the community. She reported the news of the community. She spotlighted birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or any other special events within the community. This is how Connie’s dream of becoming a journalist emerged. From taking pictures with a disposable camera in Junior High School to AMPS Magazine of Dallas, Connie began to realize that dreams do come true.
Community Clean Up & Voter Registration Drive
O
n Sunday, July 5, 2020 at Mt. Nebo Park, a newly found nonprofit organization called Building Relationships Inside Different Generations & Ethnicities (B.R.I.D.G.E.) held their first event in Monroe, Louisiana. They wanted to do something in the community that would make a difference. So, they decided to set up a community cleanup and Voter Registration Drive in the community on the South side of town. This nonprofit organization has seven members consisting of: Urald King (President), Elijah Brass (VP), Vanisha Jackson (Secretary), Anthony Marshall, Terry Martin, Cierra Turner, and Larrese Rollins. People in the community came out to help with the neighborhood cleaning and the setup of the Voter Registration Drive. Urald King said they are trying to get more involved in the community. King says that they are trying to “be a B.R.I.D.G.E.� between the generations before them and the generation after them. He says he notices that there is a big void in communication between the older generation and the younger generation. Urald says that their job is to get involved in the community as much as they possibly can to make a difference. He says that more people should be present at Jury meetings and start doing everything possible to get their faces and voices out there so there can be more representation for the community that look like you and me. Follow us on Facebook: B.R.I.D.G.E.
Check out website
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Fred Jones F
rederick D. Jones is the son of Carol and Charles Jones. He is married to Ashanti M. Jones and has three children. He learned the importance of public service from his parents at a very young age. His mother is a retired teacher who taught in the public school system for over 30 years. His father served in the legislature for over 28 years. Fred is a graduate of Southern University and A&M College where he received a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics. After graduation he worked for the Louisiana Department of Revenue as a Tax Officer 1 while applying to Law School. Shortly after working as Tax Officer 1 Fred was accepted to Southern University Law Center. He continued to work hard in the class room and in his job outside of Law school. He was able to work for the Louisiana Legislature in the Legislative Bureau while at the same time he remained focused and excelled in his coursework; granting him graduation with honors from Southern University Law Center. Part of his duties while working for the Legislative Bureau was reviewing bills, working on joint resolutions, and working and editing suspension resolutions. Following graduation from Law School, Fred started working for the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) under the Honorable Jerry Jones. While there, he was chosen to be on the domestic violence task force with all of the surrounding law enforcement agencies to help combat domestic violence housed at the Family Justice Center. After working on the task force for four plus years Fred felt it was time to venture out and join the family law firm. Representative Jones was honored to serve under a DA who was very knowledgeable, professional, and cognizant of the needs
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of the community. But, he was ready to work alongside his father, Charles Jones and his sister, Rosalind D. Jones and help take some of the load and stress off of them during the Law firm’s transition period. After nine years and counting with the family law firm Fred has really branched out and expanded his horizons. He is a Personal Injury and Criminal Defense Attorney and he currently practices in City, State, and Federal Courts. He has also been admitted to the Eastern, Middle, and Western District Federal Courts, and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Fred has been elected as the State Representative for the 16th District representing Ouachita and Morehouse Parish. Representative Jones currently serves on the Appropriations, Judiciary, Criminal Justice, House Select Committee focusing on Disaster Recovery, and Judicial Compensation Committee. Representative Jones says his inspiration to go into law was birthed from the good that he has observed, felt and, received over the course of his life when it comes to the judicial system. He saw that through the knowledge of the Law one is able to provoke change that is necessary and beneficial. The Law has the ability to enrich, protect and, inspire; when you find yourself on the right side of the law you are able to be a part of something much larger than yourself. Representative Jones believes the most difficult part of his career was transitioning from undergrad into Law school. Law
school’s structure and program is very different from the flow of undergrad, so getting use to the flow and structure of Law school took a lot of adjusting. You are held to a much more rigid schedule with no room for error. The amount of course work covered; combined with the challenge of retaining and executing new information and the ability to practice learned concepts all on one exam at the end of each semester created a high pressured environment from time to time. None of that was a deterrent for Representative Jones when it came to Law School. He knew that all of his hard work and dedication would pay off in the end. Fred believes the greatest benefit of becoming a lawyer is the fact that he is able to help people during some the most difficult times of their lives. Also, a law degree allows you to practice in a multitude of sectors and in most cases allows you to practice in an area that you have invested interest in. Representative Jones honestly did not know where his Law degree would take him. But he knew that he wanted to help people and build a stronger community by making a difference that would protect and enhance the lives of others. While being a prosecutor Representative Jones was able to help many people and get justice for many victims. Representative Jones says shortly after the election he spoke with Representative Michael Echols and Mayor Henry Cotton about some plans that they had for the City of Bastrop. One of the plans they all spoke on included the Economic Development District. He said he was happy that they were able to bring this to fruition; and now they have
to attract major industries to the area and help drive the economy for the City of Bastrop. Representative Jones plans on making the community better by first being in the community and listening to the needs of citizens in the community. He is going to help develop a tax policy, help benefit the economy, create educational opportunities, and continue criminal justice reform. First Legislative Session representative Jones passed HB 643, HB 374, HB137, HCR 46, HCR 47, HCR 97
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D
erunzia, also known as Jab Johnson, was born and raised in the small of town Corey, Louisiana. Growing up Jab had always been taller than the rest of her peers. That combined with her love of the game of basketball intrigued her and helped her dreams of being a basketball star form. She began to develop her game and starting practicing and playing at a very young age. By the time Jab was in her teen years, she had developed her game so much that she was chosen to be a part of the Caldwell High School Women’s basketball team. By Jab’s junior year in high school she had gotten pregnant and was blessed with a beautiful baby boy. In no way did that stop her from reaching and achieving the goals and dreams she had set up in her life. Her hard work and dedication continued to pay off and helped Johnson lead her high school team The Caldwell Lady Spartans to the championship four years in a row. As if that wasn’t enough
and Jab’s plate wasn’t already overflowing she was also able to play Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball out of New Orleans for Coach Domino. After High School Jab received, scholarship offers from schools all over. However, she decided to stay close to home and attend Northeast Louisiana University (NLU). Even though she was determined to finish out her schooling and receive her degree Jab had a son to look after and wanted to stay close to home. Another reason Jab chose to attend NLU was the fact that her cousin Lisa Thornton went to Louisiana State University (LSU) and Pam Kelly went to Louisiana Tech. All three ladies went to Caldwell Parish High School, so she wanted to go somewhere where she could make a name for herself. Over Jab’s entire basketball career at NLU starting in 1987 and ending in 1990 she was able to break tons of records. She scored a total of 1,542 points; averaging 18.8 points each game which earned her a rank at number four in career points scored for the Lady Warhawks. Jab was also able to snag a total of 1,006 rebounds with an average of 12.3 rebounds per game during her time
Jab Johnson playing for NLU. She is ranked seventh in blocked shots and was able to block a total of 100 shots during her college career. Jab was also a three-time All-Southland Conference selection and was also named to the Southland’s 1980’s All-Decade team in 2013. Jab is very thankful for the support and love that she received from her family and she knows she would not have been able to reach any of her goals without the support of God and her family. Her mother Gloria Atkins and her late grandmother Clara Thornton were her angels. Normally when you have a child that is your child and your responsibility. Her mother and grandmother knew Jab’s goal was to go to college and play basketball, so they were willing to be her support system. Her family wanted her to follow her dreams and goals. They did not want anything to stand in her way or delay her from reaching her goals. Jab not only had the support of her family, but she also had the support of people outside of her family like her high school coach Gay Greer, her elementary school coaches Clarice Kennedy, and Mary Alice Wiley. At NLU Jab majored in General Studies because at the time she was unsure of what career she wanted to pursue in life. At the time she only knew that she wanted to play basketball. Jab had a strong desire to play pro ball over seas, and she was fortunate enough to be able to do so for two and a half years. She was able to travel and play in places like Calais, France, Pryca, Manresa. After Jab finished playing overseas, Page139 Continued on Page
Elijah Brass
E
lijah Brass lll is a native of Monroe, Louisiana. He is not new to protests being that his grandfather was always vocal in the community. His grandfather (Elijah Brass Sr.) was so vocal and making such a difference in his community that it angered many of his fellow citizens. It angered them to the point that they formed together and put a hit out on Elijah Brass Senior for $2,000. Elijah says when he first learned of the hit on his grandfather it was a shock to him. He soon realized how inspiring and encouraging it was. It really showed him how much of a difference his grandfather was making and inspired him to make a change as well in his community no matter the cost or risk. Elijah knows that his grandfather would want him to carry on the legacy and continue to fight against injustice and raise his voice. Elijah knows that God will carry him safely wherever he needs go. Elijah wants citizens of his community, his children, and grandchildren to be able to read an article or see an interview and be proud of the work he has done. On Monday, June 8th, 2020, Elijah Brass lll was part of a protest in Monroe, Louisiana along with others organized by a group that he co-founded called B.R.I.D.G.E, INC. which took place at the Ouachita Parish Courthouse. In late May, OPPJ Vice President District B, Jack Clampit made a Facebook post that read “There is a simple way to control the looters, just two words. Choot em”. After receiving tons of backlash from citizens in the Monroe community, the post has since been deleted. Elijah along with many others in the community were outraged about the post, and is asking for a resignation from Clampit. Elijah was not nervous about being part of the protest; he said he actually felt empowered and felt like this was the best time for him to take a stand and speak up. He feels as Page 10
though this was a moment ordained specifically for him. Elijah says he could not stay home and sit back and let this moment to take a stand pass him up. So he invited his sister and his two brothers to join him in protesting. He says it was a proud moment for him to be a part of the movement, and he wasn’t nervous at all. Elijah takes pride in using his voice and was very excited about protesting. He says for far too long the majority has been silent and the minority has been loud. Elijah believes if we all stand together in solidarity these behaviors will no longer exist. These behaviors have been condoned for far too long and people are no longer willing to sit by and allow this behavior to continue happening. Elijah believes justice for him would mean that his children and his future grandchildren won’t have to live in a society where they are judged by the color of their skin. As Dr. King said,
“They will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”. Elijah thinks that it is important that we stand for things in the future and not just today. We cannot allow our voices to be silenced again. In today’s world people see racism as what it was 40 years ago and they do not believe it has evolved, so when you try to identify it some people will say that’s not racism. When you look at an elected official who calls on his constituents to shoot looters, Elijah has a major problem with that. First, there was not anyone in Ouachita Parish who was looting so Jack Clampit did not have the right to say that. Even if there were people looting that still is not the correct response to be made. There are a multitude of different ways those people could have been dealt with outside of being shot. People voted for Clampit and they shouldn’t have to see or tolerate behavior like this. After the post was made, Clampit was warned by someone on Facebook that his post was insensitive and would reach people of multiple ethnicities, Clampit doubled down and stated, “I’m not worried about the next election. I am concerned about the business owners who are losing their dreams due to thugs. Many of which are black.” Going back to the original statement that is the evolution of racism you have to keep in mind the evolution of subliminal messages. Businesses were still in phase one of being closed, and majority of them were not looking to reopen soon with Covid-19 numbers still on the rise. There was never any looting going on but now with Clampit’s approval people are going to occupy their businesses just so they can sit in wait and have the possibility of shooting a looter. Brass says for Clampit to call to action and suggest shooting looters, was a way to condone and incite the behavior that has already been happening across the nation. Elijah says it’s very disturbing to him that people take pride in the thought of taking another person’s life. Especially the lives of Black and Brown men and women. Jack Clampit being an elected official calling for
people to harm and possibly kill you over something that can easily be deescalated is not the behavior that should be represented and tolerated by someone in office. It is very disturbing to have so many different congress people making the same comments or sitting by and not correcting the behaviors of their fellow congress people. Brass believes anything is possible, but it’s going to take the entire community to join together and demand change. If the majority would just speak out and come together collectively by bombarding his cell phone and flooding his emails then maybe a difference can be made. This is not the first time that Clampit has made statements that were offensive to a particular group of people. When people are consistent with their message and continue to target a particular group of people with their statements, changes need to be made because obviously that official doesn’t have a particular group of citizens in mind. Clampit needs to know that things he has said are unacceptable and he needs to be held accountable for it. Hopefully the voices of the citizens will be heard and Clampit will know he needs to resign. When asked about his future, Brass noted that he began the process of founding a Non-profit that would eliminate many disparities in the community. This Non-profit is expected to start work in late summer to early fall 2020. He is optimistic that the community will band together to support the Non-profit and assist in meeting the needs of the community. Brass also desires to be more involved in the political conversation and wishes to create conversations amongst his generation that inspires political participation. He believes that everything we do involves politics in some form or fashion and that people do not have the luxury of not having any understanding of politics or an eagerness to learn and get involved in some way.
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Back to School Giveaway
n Saturday, August 8, 2020 a nonprofit organization called Building Relationships Inside Different Generations and Ethnicities also known as B.R.I.D.G.E. had a back to school give away at the Monroe Civic Center to help families in need. Urald King the president of B.R.I.D.G.E was so excited to see the turnout at the event. It was better than the organization expected and there were approximately 125 to 150 families that showed up to the event. B.R.I.D.G.E handed out 100 pre-packaged backpacks and even though they ended up running out of them they still have supplies left to give out. The event was a huge success. B.R.I.D.G.E handed out items such as notebooks, face masks, earphones, hand sanitizer, pencils, etc. King says they started the event with a word of prayer. Since their organization is newer being that it is just a few months old they never expected the turn out to be as successful as it was. It makes the members of B.R.I.D.G.E feel good to know that the community is supporting them, and it is important for them to give back. They grew up in these communities and they know what it is like to watch their parents struggle to get school supplies. With the COVID-19 pandemic going on the B.R.I.D.G.E organization knew this was something they could do to ease the burden on the parents of the children going back to school. He knew his organization had to step up to the plate. On behalf of the B.R.I.D.G.E. family they would like to say thank you and they appreciate everyone’s support. They hope everyone continues to support them and what they are doing for the communities in the city.
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she returned to the States and got a job as a substitute teacher. After substitute, teaching for some time Jab moved careers and got a job at Wal-Mart starting as a cashier. Her hard work and dedication earned her the ability to be able to move up the ladder and become a store manager. Since starting as a cashier at Wal-Mart Johnson has now been employed there for over 20 years now. Jab thanks God every day for giving her this gift; she has never taken it for granted. Her career in basketball has been very good to her and she has loved every single minute of it. Especially her time playing overseas even though it was a real eye opener for her. She loved traveling to different places and meeting a variety of new people. The treatment Jab got while in Spain was unbelievable. It was like the sky was the limit and she was at the top. Not only did Jab see people that she played against in college, but she also saw people that were ahead of her in college. While playing overseas she had the opportunity to play in the same gym where they shot the movie Love and Basketball. In 2016, Jab got a phone call informing her that she had been nominated to be inducted into the Uni-
versity of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) L Club’s Hall of Fame. On November 5, 2016, Johnson got her big day and was inducted into ULM L Club’s Hall of Fame. Johnson says winning that honor was a team effort, and she gives her teammates the credit. She says she would not have been able to do any of it without them. Jab also wants to give all the coaches who pushed and supported her along her journey credit. Johnson said she would have never thought in a million years that this would have happened to her. All of it was an honor and to have her son Jamie introduce her to receive this award was special. Jab believes that anything is possible. As long as you stay focused on your dreams and your goals, you can do whatever you set your mind on. Never listen to negative people that only want to see you fail or struggle and people who do not mean you any good. Jab says, “At the end of the day my dreams and your dreams are totally different. Always keep God first and everything else will fall into place. I would not take anything away from my journey. The highs or the lows, the ups and downs, because it made me the woman that I am today.” Page 13
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Lauren Sanders Recent Graduate L
auren Sanders was born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana. Lauren was a student at Ouachita High School from 2016 until 2020 where she was very active in different school organizations and clubs. One organization Lauren was a part of was the school’s marching band where she was a member of the drumline. While participating in her high school’s drumline Lauren was also a member of the Monroe Youth Symphony Orchestra for four years. Lauren was also President of the Student Government Association (SGA) where she helped organize and manage events for her fellow classmates. In 2019, Lauren was crowned Les Martinique Debutante Queen. Her stellar grades helped her earn grade honor roll and become a member of the honor society. Lauren had a grade point average (GPA) of 4.0 and was valedictorian of her class. Lauren is a proud graduate of Ouachita High School class of 2020. Not only did Lauren find time to be active at her school and maintain a 4.0, but she is also very active in her community. She loves her city and wants to give back in any way that she can. By giving back to her community Lauren plans on seeing the city move and grow in a positive direction. Lauren believes a city cannot mature and reach its full potential without teamwork, love, and nurturing from its residents. Lauren has always had a passion for giving back and contributing to her society and plans to continue doing so throughout her college career. One way she can do that is to become a motivational speaker so she can influence, motivate, and educate the younger generation. She wants to help the youth and generations before her stay on the right path and stay in school. Lauren is attending Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans. She will be majoring in Pre-Med chemistry. Lauren has developed a special interest in the anatomy and function of the heart and lungs and is interested in furthering her knowledge on both organs. Upon completion of her undergrad degree Lauren plans to go to Medical school so she can become a cardiothoracic surgeon. One quote Lauren lives by and wants people to remember is, “Never give up because when you get past your milestone you can look back and see just how far you have come. You will be very proud of yourself for not giving up. It takes hard work to get anywhere you want to get in life so just keep pushing until you get where you want to be in life.” Lauren we are so proud of you and we know you will do great things in the future. Continue to strive for greatness and we cannot wait to see what you achieve! Page 17
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Micah Jones Recent Graduate M
icah “Mike” Jones-Merrell is a native of Louisiana. He was born in October of 2001 in Monroe, Louisiana but lived in Columbia, Louisiana until the age of five before returning to Monroe. Mike was a student at Neville High School where he was very active in different school organizations. He became a member of the ROTC in his sophomore year of school, and by his senior year he ran and was elected as a student council representative. Along with his different obligations at his school Mike was able to achieve excellent grades and he held a grade point average of a 3.0. Micah is a proud graduate of Neville High School Class of 2020. Upon graduation Mike decided he was going to enlist in the National Guard, and he left for basic training in June. After completing basic training Mike will be attending Southern University and A&M College where he will major in Political Science and minor in Mass Communications. After completing his undergrad Mike plans on furthering his education and attending Law school at Southern University Law Center. He plans on becoming a government relations lawyer. After working as a government relations lawyer Mike plans to start his political career by running for state representative. He then plans to run for Mayor of Baton Rouge. Mike’s dream goal is to become the Governor of Louisiana one day. He said once he finishes Law school, he plans to reside in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and immediately get into helping coordinate and planning community events. Mike wants to get to know his community and visit some of the schools in the area. This will help him decide the best events to coordinate to reach all groups of the community. He already knows what area of Baton Rouge he wants to live in when he becomes Governor. He wants to be the voice for the people es-
pecially people like himself who have a desire to get into politics but are unsure of where to start. Once he receives his degrees and the financial resources he needs, he plans to go back to his mom’s hometown of Columbia, Louisiana and build a center so he can teach high school students legal terms. He plans to have a more in-depth program for the seniors, because it will provide opportunities to get internships with law firms in Monroe, Columbia, and surrounding areas if they have a better understanding and background of Law. Growing up in the community of Caldwell Parish Mike knows better than anyone how the community is not progressing. He knows a lot of kids from the projects, because that is where he lived and grew up, and many of those kids are having trouble finding ways to make it out of that living environment. Mike says that if you see someone from your community doing great things or attempting to do great things that you should help them, so it can create a chain of successful people. Sometimes people can have a great and beneficial idea, but they need help and resources in order to take it from a dream to a reality. Mike wants people to know that they should never give up because there is always another option or route you can take to make your life better. Keep going and be patient because another option will appear. If you work hard, you can get anything that you want. Mike believes kids growing up in this environment see people around them trying to get things the easy way either by selling drugs or robbing someone, and in their mind, they believe getting it the legal way is too Continued on Page 21
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Antwine Wedding
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n January 18, 2020, Georgette L. Sterling and Jarvis M. Antwine were joined together in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. To the newly hitched Antwine’s, your wedding day may seem to have been a nervous excitement and a frantic last minute of details but it will be one of the most wonderful and precious milestones of life. Continued from Page 19
hard. Mike states, “Staying focused and not falling into the peer pressure from the environment is the best way to stay out of trouble and make a change in your life. Being a minority already puts these kids at a disadvantage and the best way to better themselves and not fall into that stereotype is to stay focused and to work hard. Work hard so that you can make your situation better, and when you make your situation better bwe sure to show the next kid and continue to pass down the torch. If kids continually see the dream being achieved that will give them a different outlook on their current situation and can prevent them from taking a path detrimental to their future. His favorite saying is “act with intelligence, not emotions”. Whatever you are going through in your daily life remember that every decision needs to be calculated efficiently so that you can make the best decision for you, and never be influenced by outside sources.” Mike has had many great influencers in his life including his mother, both grandmother’s, his father, and last but certainly not least his cousin Kim. Keep up the good work Micah we are
proud of you, and we are excited to see what you achieve in the future.
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WHEN YOU’RE BUZZED,YOU GET IDEAS. LIKE ASKING EVERYONE INSIDE THE TACO TRUCK WHAT DRIVING AROUND IN A KITCHEN IS LIKE AND THEN ORDERING 22 TACOS WITH EXTRA GUACAMOLE AND ALL THE CHEESE FOR EVERY DRUNK PERSON IN LINE. BAD IDEA FOR YOUR WALLET, BUT NOT AS BAD AS DRIVING HOME BUZZED. Page 23
LAWD HAV MERCY
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honice Jeanay is from a small town called Zwolle, Louisiana. It is about three hours south of Monroe, Louisiana. Shonice currently lives in Monroe, where she is a doctoral student at Grambling State University. She is studying to receive her PHD in Developmental Education. She is set to graduate in 2021 from the program. While studying to receive her PHD Shonice also works as a support coordinator at a mental health agency.
Aside from Shonice’s passion for criminal justice and mental health; She also has a passion for acting and modeling. She started off acting as a child at her school and church. Then when she gained more experience and went off to college, she joined the University choir and joined the theater department. Shortly after that Shonice began acting in Community Theater and she was so successful and enjoyed doing it that it led her to begin acting in Premier Theater. This helped her love for the art to grow. Shonice was able to play different types of roles and be all types of characters. One-character Shonice enjoyed playing was a character named Shelia Wondering for a play called Murder at Café Noir. Playing this role gave her the opportunity to connect with the 1920’s and experience the style of clothing and music from that time. She was even able to do photoshoots to promote the Page 24
play; this gave her the opportunity to go get professional photos taken as advertisement. Which then led her into doing some modeling in her spare time. Shonice has always been active and so it is just one of the things she loves to do. Shonice will make her own wigs if needed for certain roles and she will not wear wigs unless she has physically made it herself. Hair stores do not advertise black natural hair in an appealing way, so Shonice decided to make her own afros and natural look. She owns many wigs and each one she makes is made from scratch. Shonice likes making wigs because that is her yoga; it is her escape from reality and gives her a moment of peace and tranquility. In 2016, Shonice started a nonprofit organization called Positively Speaks. Some of the work the organization does is feeding the homeless and taking high schoolers on college tours. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 this was the first summer that she was unable to do it. Shonice started this organization because coming from a small town where you did not have the opportunity to speak to mentors about college did not sit right with her. She wanted to be able to give the students coming in behind her a chance to see different campuses and speak to them about attending college. She told herself once she got her master’s degree, she wanted to develop her own LLC, and she wanted to give back to the kids from underserved neighborhoods. She also loves giving back to the homeless and making conversations with them and providing help in areas of need to them. Shonice works with other types of organizations all the time because this allows her to pair up with other great minds and enables her to reach and help a broader spectrum of people. Some fun facts about Shonice Jeanay are she is a country girl who loves a home cooked meal of collard greens and neck bones. Her two celebrity crushes are Tyrese and Lisa Raye and her favorite movie is Dreamgirls. Her favorite type of music is Rhythm and Blues (R&B). In the next five years Shonice sees herself opening her own development center and plans on becoming being a yoga instructor. Her idea place of opening a development center would be in Settle, Washington. Shonice’s grandmother is the biggest impact in her life and is her inspiration. Shonice says, “Just keep pushing and never ever give up on your dreams.
Follow Shonice on Instagram at www.Instagram.com/shonice_jeanay
Shonice Jeanay Photographer: Kita Wright Hair pieces: Styled and created by Shonice Jeanay
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AMPS MAGAZINE of MONROE Connie Morgan, Publisher CSM Marketing Company, LLC
(214) 937-9041
www.la.ampsmagazine.com Email: connie@ampsmagazine.com
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American Minority People Succeeding
