EXECUCOM 2024 (Spring/Summer) by Jack and Jill of America, Inc.

EXECUCOM

Year In Review

Marvis M. Donalson

NATIONAL OFFICERS

JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

2022-2024

PRESIDENT

NATIONAL PROGRAM DIRECTOR

MARVIS M. DONALSON

NATIONAL RECORDING SECRETARY ILY J. HOUSTON

NATIONAL APPOINTEES

National Legal Advisor

Audrey Boone Tillman

National Corporate Advisor

Monique Walker

National Chaplain

Andrea Lewis

NATIONAL CORRESPONDING SECRETARY NICHELLE NICHOLES-LEVY

NATIONAL EDITOR AMANDA MCWILLIAMS

NATIONAL

KORNISHA MCGILL BROWN

NATIONAL VICE

SATIVA LEACH-BOWEN

NATIONAL TREASURER MICHELE HENRY-MCGEE

REGIONAL LEADERSHIP

JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

REGIONAL DIRECTORS

27TH NATIONAL PRESIDENT

Kornisha McGill Brown GREETINGS

Greetings Jack and Jill Mothers and Family Members,

Iam pleased to introduce the final EXECUCOM of the National Executive Board 2022-2024.

Our administration has had a phenomenal term. We are so very grateful to each one of you for your contributions. This EXECUCOM issue is a visual compilation of images representing some of the great work that we accomplished together as an organization – On Mission. On Purpose.

I would like to extend a special thank you to the National Executive Board 2022-2024 and current Regional Officers for their leadership and phenomenal service. I would also like to congratulate the new National Executive Board 2024-2026! We wish you the very best.

It has been an honor to serve as your 27th National President. In honor of Jack and Jill’s enduring legacy, I encourage all members to remain focused on the excellent work of our organization and to enjoy every moment of life. Together, we can overcome any obstacles that come our way. Together, we can continue to serve as a catalyst for social justice. Together, we have the power to make a difference for all children. And together, we can “Tell Them We Are Still Rising”! Long Live Jack and Jill!

Always For the Children,

Kornisha McGill Brown 27th National Presidenta

NATIONAL

EDITOR

Amanda McWilliams GREETINGS

Greetings Mothers,

Welcome to the Spring/Summer Issue of EXECUCOM!

I am delighted to introduce this edition of Execucom which is packed with captivating event photos and dynamic programming that have occurred in our beloved organization. Our dedicated National Executive Board worked tirelessly to oversee our events.

In this issue, you will find featured highlights from On The Hill 2023, National Youth Trip in New Orleans, and 46th National Convention, amongst other unforgettable events. We strive to focus on some of our national events designed for our children.

Thank you for being part of our programming. We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Warm Regards,

Amanda McWilliams

Immediate Past National Editor

Jack and Jill of America, Inc.

ON MISSION.

ON PURPOSE.

The Jack and Jilliad

GREEK ODYSSEY

FUN AT SEA

FAMILY VIBES

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

MINNEAPOLISOfficers’ Training Meeting

The 2022-2024 National Executive Board kicked off a three-day weekend of focused training for newly-elected regional officers in Minneapolis, MN in August 2023. JACK

2023-25 REGIONAL OFFICERS

2023-2025 REGIONAL DIRECTORS

2023-2025 REGIONAL TREASURERS

Sixty Year Anniversary

This year, on September 9, 2023, Jack and Jill of America’s Birmingham Chapter hosted a collaborative statewide event with the five neighboring Alabama JJOA Chapters—Greater Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, and Tuskegee—in honor of Carole Robertson and the 60th commemoration of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. Special guests included Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, Congresswoman Terri Sewell of Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, Pastor Arthur Price Jr. of 16th Street Baptist Church, and Dianne Robertson Braddock. Due to Carole’s love for reading, the Birmingham Chapter built and dedicated a reading corner in the city’s Smithfield Library. One of the Birmingham Chapter Teens also created a nationally recognized Girl Scout patch honoring the four little girls and presented it to Mrs. Dianne Robertson Braddock, Carole’s Sister, at the event (Carole was

an active Girl Scout).

Birmingham Chapter President Krysten Holloway said, “The bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church and the loss of four innocent lives taught not only our community but our nation how to bind together through hate, with love, through divisiveness through protest, through injustice with justice. We have come a long way in 60 years, but we still remember the names of so many countless victims of black and brown skin in our nation. We must remember this story so that it is not lost on the generation to come, and they remember the shoulders they stand upon. As the daughter of a Freedom Rider, Clyde L. Carter, I encourage my children to remember whose shoes they are wearing, and where are they taking you.”

On the national and regional levels, Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated continues to remain invested in various initiatives including active involvement with a beautification project in Birmingham to enhance the burial sites of the 16th Street Baptist

REMEMBERING CAROLE ROBERTSON AND THE 16TH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH BOMBING

National President Kornisha McGill Brown and National Program Director Marvis Donalson in front of original painting of the Birmingham Four.

Church bombing victims. Support for this project was made possible through generous financial donations and contributions from the organization’s members and families, particularly in the Southeastern Region, and through Jack and Jill of America Foundation. Carole’s gravesite consists of a tall, obelisk memorial which was dedicated in 2018 under the leadership of National President Kornisha McGill Brown, serving at the time as Southeastern Regional Director, and Past National President Joli Cooper. In honor of the 60th Commemoration in 2023, National President Brown and National Program Director Marvis Donalson traveled to Birmingham to participate in events honoring the 16th Street Church bombing victims and visit Carole’s burial site. The organization also remembered the young girls in a special tribute during Jack and Jill of America’s biennial On The Hill Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., September 22-25, 2023.

“Today, we pause to honor the memory of Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, and Cynthia Wesley,” said National President Kornisha McGill Brown. “May we never forget the life and legacy of Carole and so many others who made the ultimate sacrifice for equality and human rights. And, may we continue to honor them in all that we do as we build a brighter tomorrow for all children and future generations.”

“ ”

As an organization, we will always remember and re-emphasize to our children this important moment of history by educating them and encouraging them to find their voice for advocacy and civic engagement.

Page: Survivors and members of the 1963 Foot Soldiers [top]; Carole Robertson gravesite post-renovation

Top: Professor Eddie Glaude gives keynote address at remembrance service.

Bottom:

The Four Spirits sculpture was unveiled at Kelly Ingram Park on September, 2013

Opposite

National President Kornisha McGill Brown

JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

THE HILL LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT

2023 On The Hill Summit

Jack and Jill of America, Inc.’s ninth biennial On The Hill Legislative Summit (OTH) was held September 22-25, 2023, welcoming more than 600 African American teen advocates and nearly 200 chaperones from 33 states to the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. The 2023 OTH Legislative Summit priorities included: Voting Education and Awareness (John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021); CROWN ACT Support (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act of 2022); Gun Control and Stricter Gun Laws (Raising the Age Act of 2023 and Keep Americans Safe Act); Policing Reform (George Floyd Justice in Policing Act); and Mental Health Awareness and Education (National Alliance on Mental Illness’ Stigma-Free Campaign). Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance, and additional special guests shared their knowledge and experience with teen advocates throughout the weekend. Event highlights included a business vendors summit, mental health pop-up at the University of the District of Columbia, and Sneaker Ball. Thanks to our OTH 2023 Sponsors: Unilever, Ford, AARP, Baxter, Prudential, and Jack and Jill of America Foundation.

Jack and Jill teen attendees and National Legislative Chairs pose for a group photo on the West steps of the U.S. Capitol.

ADVOCACY The Power of

The summit featured special guest speakers and appearances from Muriel Bowser, Mayor of Washington, D.C. and a Jack and Jill Mother Member; Maryland’s First Lady Dawn Flythe Moore, wife of Gov. Wes Moore—the State of Maryland’s first Black governor; Bakari Sellers, CNN political commentator, attorney, and former South Carolina state representative; Symone Sanders-Townsend, MSNBC Host, political strategist and commentator; Dianne Robertson Braddock, sister of Jack and Jill Teen Carole Robertson–one of the victims of the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama; Attorney Ben Crump, a nationallyrecognized trial lawyer and social justice advocate; Esi Eggleston Bracey, President of Unilever USA, CEO of Personal Care North America, and a Jack and Jill Mother Member; and several others.

Sponsors for Jack and Jill of America, Inc.’s 2023 On The Hill Legislative Summit included Unilever, Ford, AARP, Baxter, Prudential, and Jack and Jill of America Foundation.

Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated National President Kornisha McGill Brown said, “We are looking forward to a powerful On The Hill Legislative Summit experience in support of our continued advocacy to champion initiatives that educate and empower our children as well as uplift our communities. This year’s OTH has increased in-person attendance compared to previous years which is encouraging in our civic engagement efforts and mission to nurture future African American leaders.”

Opposite Page: Teens pose with NRS Nichelle and visit representatives’ offices on Capitol Hill.

This Page: The NEB unveils the 85th anniversary quilt with Kim Alexis Newton; FWR Regional Teen President Daylan Moore hosts a star-studded panel; the National Legislative Committee with Attorney Ben Crump.

Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser addresses attendees, Teens attend the inaugural Community Mental Health Pop Up at the University of the District of Columbia; NP Kornisha and Honorary Member Susan Taylor of National CARES Mentoring (and formerly Essence Magazine).

This Page

This Page: Attendees groove at the “High Tops on the Hill” Sneaker Ball, held at the National Museum of the American Indian.

JACK

AMERICA,

VICE PRESIDENTKamala

The apex of the summit came with the unexpected appearance of Vice President Kamala Harris, whose presence served as a testament to the significance of the event and underscored the impact of JJOA’s advocacy efforts.

Following the resounding success of the summit, the NLC remained steadfast in its commitment to guiding regional chapters in legislative planning for the November 2023 election. This included the organization of Legislative Days at State Capitals across the United States, providing members with opportunities for continued engagement and advocacy on a local level. Moreover, the committee endeavored to further enhance its regionalspecific programming, ensuring that the momentum generated by the summit would be sustained well into the future.

Associates

2024GETAWAY

ASSOCIATE JEWELS

pura vida Relax. Recharge.

JACK

2024 NATIONAL YOUTH TRIP The Crescent City Experience

THE FRENCH QUARTER EXPERIENCE

The Whitney Plantation

TOUR

THE BLOCK PARTY EXPERIENCE

DILLARD UNIVERSITY

LAISSEZ BON TEMPS ROULEZ

THE BIG EASY EXPERIENCE

DINNER AND PARTY

COME EXPLORE THE MUSEUM IS YOURS

Experience

The National Fathers’ Auxiliary Committee worked with NCS Nichelle to create an exciting and memorable Fathers Retreat NASCAR Experience in Charlotte, North Carolina for the Coca-Cola 600. Dads arrived Friday May 24th, and were treated to a welcome reception. They headed over to the Charlotte Motor Speedway for a doubleheader race event, ARCA Series and NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series. On Saturday, they toured the Rev Racing Race shop owned by past Jack and Jill Mom Jennifer Siegel (Charlotte and Indianapolis Chapters) and her husband Max Siegel and later that day they attended the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, having access to the exclusive Paddock Club and treated to conversation with some special guests.

The NFAC is thankful and delighted for the opportunity to support this organization and are appreciative of your acknowledgement of our impact.

JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

PINK AND BLUE PAGES

JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED

2024 PINK AND BLUE PAGES

MEMBERSHIP BUSINESS DIRECTORY

The NEB is thrilled to introduce to you the Pink and Blue Inaugural Business Directory, a groundbreaking initiative designed to support and showcase the entrepreneurial talents within our esteemed organization. It brings us great joy to witness the innovative spirit and business acumen that our members possess, and it is with immense pride that we unveil this platform to promote and celebrate your endeavors.

The Pink and Blue Inaugural Business Directory aims to serve as the beginning of a comprehensive resource for our members, providing a platform for entrepreneurs within our organization to showcase their businesses, products, and services. This directory will not only foster a sense of collaboration and support among our members but also create opportunities for networking, growth, and success.

We believe that by highlighting the diverse array of talents and businesses within our organization, we can empower each other to achieve new heights of success and excellence. We encourage all members who are entrepreneurs or business owners to take advantage of this unique opportunity in the future to be featured in the directory and connect with fellow members who share your passion for success.

Special thanks to National Vice President Sativa Leach-Bowen for her vision to create this ad hoc committee and directory, as well as her leadership as their liaison. Many thanks also goes out to Task Force Chair Crystal Shahid and the entire committee for their commitment in the execution of this vision.

We look forward to seeing the incredible businesses and talents that our members will showcase in the Pink and Blue Inaugural Business Directory. Thank you for being part of our vibrant community, and we are excited to witness the amazing achievements that will undoubtedly stem from this initiative.

SOLAR

ECLIPSE

APRIL 8, 2024

Jack and Jill was fortunate to receive programming resources from NASA this year, just in time for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse across North America which passed over Mexico, The United States, and Canada on April 8. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun.

LEGACY IN BLOOM FOUNDATION GALA

Jack and Jill of America, Inc. National Executive Board Members attended the Jack and Jill of America Foundation Legacy in Bloom Inaugural Spring Soiree on June 27, 2024. The soiree recognized the foundation’s more than 55 years as the philanthropic arm of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Jack and Jill Families have contributed millions of dollars to the Foundation, making a significant difference for African American families, education, and wellness.