KANSAS CITY
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May/June 2022 Vol. 1 Issue 3
SugaRee Cookies Kansas City - May/June 2022
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There Are No If, Ands, Or Buts About It! We May Wish, But God Has A Plan There Are No If, Ands, Or Buts About It! A Letter the Editor A Letter From from The Editor A Letter from the Editor
What if tomorrow didn’t arrive? All of your plans, hopes Modern technology, suchhave as the internet devices, and dreams wouldn’t a street toand parksmart on. What if has changed the way consumers shop for everyday necessities. everything that you decided to put off until tomorrow never What if tomorrow didn’t arrive? All of your plans, hopes Everything from groceries to televisions, tires, medications, and happened? would beano reason to save a rainy and dreams There wouldn’t have street to park on. for What if patio furniture can be purchased directly from a smartphone or day, and you could someone theuntil trouble of making everything that youspare decided to put off tomorrow never computer. Foot traffic in stores has been greatly reduced, and promises. What your last happened? Thereif would be opportunity no reason toseemingly save for aexpired rainy the Covid 19 pandemic may have played a big role in that also. today? wouldspare you do? day, andWhat you could someone the trouble of making Anyhow, many retailers have adjusted how they make their products promises. What if your last opportunity seemingly expired accessible in order for them to survive. I’ve been that I often today? Whattold would you do? seem like I do too much. Honestly, I feel like I am not doing enough and I’m a firm As a child, I remember the huge department store catalogs that believer in knowing that God seem wouldn’t on me I’ve been told that I often like put I do anything too much. would come in the mail every year, usually around the Christmas that I couldn’t handle. I sometimes wonder how life would Honestly, I feel like I am not doing enough and I’m a firm holiday season. I would look at them and prepare my list of items be if I chose to sit idle and accept whatput it presented believer in knowing that God wouldn’t anything to onme. me I that I wanted before submitting it to my mama. Sometimes I got have found that to be very boring. In my opinion, opportunity that I couldn’t handle. I sometimes wonder how life would most of what I wanted, but not always. Still, looking through the is aifblessing that to what everyone. A challenge be I chose to sitisn’t idle afforded and accept it presented to me. I catalog and believing that I would get them was very exciting for to me is an adventure. What is the worst that can happen? have found that be very are boring. my now opinion, me. Unfortunately, thetocatalogs long In gone and opportunity have been If aI do nothing, I fail, and if I try to I don’t, but instead learn is blessing that isn’t afforded everyone. A challenge replaced by digital ones. Awwwe, technology. something new about myself. Relinquish your pride and in to me is an adventure. What is the worst that can happen? return acquire life. If I do nothing, I fail, andcatalog if I try Isurfing don’t, but insteadtolearn I compare those childhood moments some something new about myself. Relinquish your pride and experiences I have as an adult. I have often tried to plan out myinlife The best advice ever given to me happened when someone return acquire life. by creating a wish list for various stages without the assistance of told me to make my tomorrow happen today. In doing so a department store catalog. I have made plans for various things I have pressed myever way through doors with a key that only The best advice given me happened when someone and experiences and made plans ontohow to acquire and accomplish hope provided. I have also learned the difference between told me to make my tomorrow happen today. In doing so them. Those plans were submitted to God, and I’m always amazed God blesses me and what cana burden with Iwhat have pressed way through doorslife with key thatme only at what I receive frommy God inwith response. as well. I compare it toalso knowing when be confident and hope provided. I have learned the to difference between when tocan be quiet, God blesses meeven withthough and what life burden me the with See,what I have learned that I make plans, Godbecause has someone may get it confused as well. I compare it to knowing when to be confident and final say. What I think is good for me, God knows what is truly best withhas being when toalready bearrogant. quiet, because for me. Even in my lowest moments, God prepared a someone may get it follow confused path to higher ground for me. And even when I choose to my Make you tomorrow with being arrogant. own way, He redirects. happen today, but most make it acount. Make tomorrow I striveimportantly to live ayou better life, life Life is but a whisper and happen today, but most that is connected to God through weand must putmake ourselves in a importantly it count. obedience grasping a better position to hear what it Life is but a whisper and understanding of what He desiresis telling us. must putI don’t ourselves for me. Iwe admit that haveinalla position to hear what it is the answers, and sometimes I make us. to know that even mistakes.telling It’s good Terry Watson when I get off track inL.life, God’s love never changes.Editor/Founder
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Terry L. Watson www.huamimagazine.com Alana Allen - Deputy Editor
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CONTENTS
MAY/JUNE 2022
KANSAS CITY
M-Powement Solutions LLC
Whitney Morgan
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Jessica McCallop McClallen
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Marrel Gravely Foushee
Giving Back Is In Her DNA
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On The Cover
SugaRee Cookies Sharita Shortey
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The Wealthy Child
Delvin Sullivan
Huami Magazine Cutest Baby
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Also Featured
Verlancia Tucker She is using her experiences and trauma to assist others with managing depression. Learn more about her journey. Little Rock, AR
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Ernest Sanders He is qualified. Learn more about his journey, his experience, and his effort to be elected as Judge. Little Rock, AR
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Dr. Schenita Randolph She has partnered with community leaders to bring awareness to issues that affect Black Americans. Greensboro, NC
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HuamiMagazine.com Kansas City - May/June 2022
SugaRee Cookies By Terry L. Watson Photos Provided by SugaRee Cookies Sharita Shortéy of Kansas City, MO, is living the sweet life. The young, talented, and loving woman is the owner of SugaRee Cookies, a customized cookie bakery that specializes in creating personal custom characters in the form of cookies. According to Sharita, her cookies taste amazing, and the word on the street is that the cookies are too cute to eat. SugaRee Cookies features eight different flavors to choose from. Most of their clients are of the African American community, and Sharita says she loves being there for her people. “It’s a feeling of giving back. I provide a place where they can be free to express themselves and share their visions without being judged,” she shares. So, where did the name SugaRee come from? Sharita says, “When I was younger, my uncle gave me a nickname that only he called me. It was Ree, which is short for Sharita. Before launching my business, we lost him to cancer, but I knew when I started, I wanted to use “Ree” in my business’ name to represent his love for me.” It is impossible to measure Sharita’s determination by her outward appearance. She is a self-described family woman, one who has experienced many things in life. She had her first child at age 18 and said she was scared of not knowing what was next. She’s raised five children, ranging from five to nineteen, and has enjoyed seventeen years of marriage with her husband. “I’m corky. I’m awkward, and I have a weird sense of style. I love animals, and one day I will have a great big farm,” she says. Sharita says one of the benefits of having many children allowed her to quickly realize it is easier to do everything for them herself (cooking, grooming, etc.) versus seeking outside assistance. “I literally do everything, from cutting my boy’s hair, doing my daughter’s nails, baking every cake for every birthday, and making every costume for Halloween. I’m a perfectionist, I have a vision, and I desire things to be exact,” she says.
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“I literally love everyone. When I create my cookies, I put all of myself into them. When I see the joy on my client’s faces, that does it for me. Knowing that whatever they are going through, at that moment, I was able to give them a piece of joy.”
Her love for serving others is evident and displayed with SugaRee Cookies. However, her path was paved well before opening up shop. She always had a passion for art, a talent she says God gave her, but never really pursued anything in the art field because nursing came easy, and she took the easy route. “I started my journey in nursing and worked in the nursing field for 18 years, up until December 2021. Taking care of others has always been my passion. I lost my grandparents at a very young age, and caring for the elderly holds an important place in my heart,” she says. The SugaRee journey began in 2019. It was then that Sharita noticed the cookie show Christmas Cookie Challenge on the Food Network. She automatically knew baking cookies was something she wanted to do in her spare time. “I started making customized cookies for my nieces and nephews and my coworkers. It gave me an outlet, and I actually loved doing it. I am not saying I didn’t love nursing, but I feel I was never appreciated for my love for the job. I was also very underpaid. When the Covid 19 pandemic arrived, everything got worse, and I found myself depressed with life. I was losing my passion for something I loved doing and needed a change. So, I finally listened to that voice and took the leap of faith and quit my job, and SugaRee Cookies was born,” she shares. Sharita’s desire to love everyone makes her a perfect fit for her role as a parent, wife, and business owner. “I literally love everyone. When I create my cookies, I put all of myself into them. When I see the joy on my client’s faces, that does it for me. Knowing that whatever they are going through, at that moment, I was able to give them a piece of joy. If smiles are all I will ever get from this business, then I’ve made it,” she says.
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Like most small business owners, Sharita has faced a few challenges. One of them is time. “I’ve found that time is of the essence. It’s losing time. Time with my family, and my friends, talks with God, and keeping myself healthy-minded. There are days where I feel I lose myself because I’m focused on making others happy,” Sharita said. Being a business owner also allows Sharita to be the perfect example of what success looks like for her kids, and show them they can be whatever they dream of being. “You control your own destiny, and being able to teach my kids, especially my boys, how to be strong in such a cruel world brings peace in my heart.” While she gives all glory to God for the success she has enjoyed in business thus far, Sharita admits that having a sound support system and village has played a vital role also. “My husband has been my rock. When I was on the fence and trying to decide if this was something I really wanted to do, he went out and bought everything I needed to get started. He told me to quit my job and promised to have my back through the entire journey. Honestly, if it wasn’t for him, I’d probably be miserable, still working the nursing job,” she says. Sharita’s advice to others who may follow a path similar to hers is always to follow your heart and listen to that voice within you. “If you are unhappy, you should start praying and make changes. Only you can change the way your life is going. Once you take that leap of faith, God will take care of the rest. I stand on that,” she says. h
Sharita Shortey
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Jessica Lynn Speaks Life Giving Hope & Help Inc.
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By Terry L. Watson Photos Provided by Kenny Ellison and Jessica McClellan
Jessica McCallop McClellan of Kansas City, MO, has a genuine concern for her community. She is a “Voice for the Voiceless”. She is a survivor and advocate for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. She is also an education and cancer support advocate, humanitarian, and philanthropist. Her mantra is, “I LIVE TO GIVE.” She is a first-generation graduate of an HBCU, Southern University and A&M College based in Baton Rouge, LA. There she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing. She also holds a Master of Science in Business Management (MSM) that she received from Baker University in Baldwin City, KS. While Jessica has her hands involved in many initiatives, the one she holds deep with her heart is the opportunity to “Speak Life” to others through her compassion and leadership with Giving Hope & Help Inc. She founded this 501c3, nonprofit organization in 2013 with the mission to speak for those affected by domestic violence and end period poverty in domestic violence shelters. “I want to be a voice for the voiceless and inspire others to use their voice for change. The mission of Giving Hope & Help is to support domestic violence survivors, provide essential resources to end period poverty, empower college bound and non-traditional students and inspire cancer patients, lifting all those served to live their best life,” she says. Giving Hope & Help Inc. was launched in honor of Jessica birthday, which also occurred the week of Thanksgiving. The” Thanksgiving Birthday Give” - Launch of Giving Hope & Help and 1st Annual Feminine Hygiene Product Drive collected 5,000 sanitary napkins and tampons that were donated to Hope House in Jackson County, Missouri. To date, Giving Hope & Help supports over 25 domestic violence shelters and places of refuge has donated approximately one million period products to end period poverty locally and across the globe since the launch. The Texas Giving Hope & Help branch launched in 2015 with it’s first annual period products drive to support domestic violence shelters and places of refuge. The Education Is Your Passport Scholarship Program and LOVE Bags 4 Cancer initiatives were also launched in 2015. The organization has awarded 90 college scholarships since 2015 and has inspired over 600 cancer patients with the LOVE Bags 4 Cancer, an initiative inspired by her last niece, who battled Hodkin’s Lymphoma.
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Additionally, Giving Hope & Help collects period products, packaged women and children’s underwear year round in support of the NO MENSTRUATOR WITHOUT PERIOD PRODUCTS MOVEMENT. The organization host a monthly Free Period Pantry, and has also made a recent global impact in partnership with three local nonprofits, shipping over 11,700 period products to survivors of the Ukraine War. Giving Hope & Help period products have landed directly in the hands of those in need across the globe in Cambodia, Nairobi, Kenya, Haiti, Mexico and the Bahamas. Even more, they have supported over 300 girls with Smart Child Kenya with funding for reusable pads and panties for the last five years. Jessica’s commitment to serving others is something she always knew she would do. “It begins with my DNA. Giving is in my DNA. My McCallop family served the community via the McCallop Bus Company, founded by my great grandfather, Robert L. McCallop. He started the bus company in Johnson County as a means to transport black students from Johnson County to Wyandotte County,” she shares. Jessica’s family’s legacy is rooted in service. From slavery to school buses to scholarships and continued community service to all. The Johnson County Museum has a standing exhibit of the McCallop Family/R.L.McCallop Bus Co. Her family’s business operated for 39 years, and their contributions to their community have resulted in being honored by the NAACP and the City of Shawnee, KS, declaring February 23rd as McCallop Family Day in 2021.
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As a young child Jessica was raised to give to others, and by the time her teenage years arrived, she was walking in her destiny “I began to do my part to end period poverty in the 7th grade. I kept sanitary napkins in my backpack and locker, just in case I needed them for myself or for another student. I had it in my mind that I was going to “beat my period!” Today, I give period products locally, across the country, and around the globe, advocating for menstrual equity and teaching menstruation education and period poverty. I believe everyone should have access to period products. The menstrual cycle is a natural bodily function, and we must advocate for all to eliminate the stigma of the period and period products. Access to period products for girls in schools promotes confidence, empowerment, education, and dignity.” Some of the other things Jessica has her hands in is being the Founder and Administrator of the Black, Brown & White UNITE for CHANGE Facebook Group, as well as the radio/internet talk show host of Jessica Lynn Speaks Life, on KUAW Radio, She is the co-host of Sister Circle Prayer Warriors on Gospel 1590AM. She is also a motivational speaker. Additionally, she has over twenty-nine years of sales and management experience, including ten years in pharmaceutical and medical sales. She is an Independent Corporate Trainer/Facilitator, a member of Sister’s Circle-GKC, Sister’s in the Spirit Leadership Team, 100+Women Who Care KC, InnovateHer KC, Southern University And A&M College Alumni Federation, and INROADS Kansas City Inc. Jessica has received several prestigious awards and recognitions for her philanthropic work, humanitarianism, and leadership in the community and with Giving Hope & Help Inc., such as the 2022 Hope House Everyday Hero “Champion in Collaboration” Award, the 2022 Friends of Yates, “Clyde E. Townsend/ Rosalyn Brown Dedicated Service Award” for outstanding service and support to victims/survivors of domestic violence, the 2019 The iChange Nations Community Ambassador Award. She was also awarded Kansas City Mother of the Year Award by 107.3FM May 2019, and received the 2019 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. - Women of Courage Award. She has also been featured in several magazines and appeared on many podcasts, television and radio shows. Jessica says she is inspired by giving to others. “When there is a need, and I can meet it, I am inspired to give even more. I am inspired when I see the faces and hear the stories of those that have benefited and been blessed by my heart to give hope and help,” she says.
While Jessica confesses that giving is in her DNA, she says the past trials she persevered through have become her testimony. “My personal story of being set free from sexual assault as a teen (that I hid for 20 years) and surviving domestic violence has impacted my life so much that it is the fuel that empowers me to share my story to empower others to start their own journeys to freedom. I believe that pain can be transformed to purpose. I truly believe that everything I have survived is for a purpose to make a difference and change the trajectory of lives that will impact generations to come,” she says. Moving forward, Jessica says her plans are to continue to give hope and help and meet the needs of others. She is building her speaking career and consistently accepting speaking engagements through her personal brand, Jessica Lynn Speaks Life; inspiring others to speak life over every situation and motivate them to reach their fullest potential by cultivating the gifts in their DNA. To learn more about Jessica L. McClellan and Giving Hope & Help Inc., please visit their website. h
“When there is a need, and I can meet it, I am inspired to give even more. I am inspired when I see the faces and hear the stories of those that have benefited and been blessed by my heart to give hope and help.” Jessica L. McClellan
Giving Hope & Help Inc. www.givinghopeandhelp.org
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Whitney Morgan M-Powerment Solutions LLC
By Terry L. Watson Photos Provided by Whitney Morgan He is young, black, and making moves in the Kansas City, MO, business district. He is the owner and founder of M-Powerment Solutions LLC, an experienced financial literacy company that focuses on credit restoration and helping individuals become debt-free. They also help businesses establish business credit and funding options. Their award-winning services have assisted in removing all types of derogatory items such as bankruptcies and medical bills from their client’s credit files. To be clear, M-Powement Solutions LLC gets the job done. At just 34 years old, Whitney Morgan has seen a lot. While he presently resides in Kansas City, he has also lived in Atlanta, GA, Port Townsend, WA, and his native home of Minneapolis, MN. He has a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a masters degree in Urban Planning from the University of Kansas. His background involves Transportation Planning, City Development, and Small Business Advocacy, and he’s held many leadership positions and volunteered just as well. His volunteering efforts include Kappa Alpha Psi, Freedom Schools, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, Finance and College Ministry Leader with Faith City Christian Center, and Black Student Union. What separates M-Powement Solutions LLC from other companies that provide similar services? Whitney says it’s their commitment to providing quality service at a very affordable cost. “We also have various products to help our clients build positive credit in their name, such as our secure credit card with cashback rewards. We also have the Credit My Rent program that adds all positive rent payments to their credit report, and we partner with various credit builder companies like Self, Credit Strong, Grow Credit, and more. Our goal is to provide our clients with excellent solutions to address their financial struggles,” he says.
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Some of the additional tools offered by Whitney and his team are Credit Restoration Will, Trust, and Power of Attorney, and Budgeting/Debt Payoff Education. There is also a Smart Credit Monitoring App that allows users to view all three credit scores, and Merchant Services that offer payment processing systems for businesses. Additionally, they offer a Youth Financial Literacy Scholarship and Educational Program, Rocket Lawyer Services, Student Loan Assistance, Mobile Telehealth Services, and Business Credit Business Funding.
“Experience is the best teacher. Knowledge is not power; applied knowledge is. If knowledge by itself were power, most librarians would be millionaires.”
The decision to launch M-Powement Solutions LLC happened in June 2020, during the Covid 19 pandemic, Whitney shares. “My wife and I struggled with bad credit caused by debt consolidation. That debt was built because my wife was laid off multiple times, and I was repeatedly passed up for promotions I qualified for. This caused a lot of stress in our marriage and ironically served as a learning experience. We decided to educate other families about the importance of having good credit and the opportunities that come with it.” Whitney says what he loves most about his business is being able to help people buy brand new houses and new cars, find funding for their business, and increase their financial literacy. “We are breaking generational curses,” he says. Waking up every day knowing that he has a gift that can help a lot of people and then putting his gift into action is what pushes him. He also credits his father and grandfather for being great examples of what a man should be. “I was raised by a single father. He has instilled loving and caring principles in me and showed me how to work hard and provide for my family. He told me ever since I could remember that I could be anything I wanted to be and often called me Mr. President as a child. My grandfather taught me how to fish. He also showed me what a consummate professional and respectable Christian man looks like. He has been married to my grandmother for over 50 years. He has held multiple civic positions and joined a fraternity. My grandfather is an architect and has designed buildings all across the country. He’s been retired for over 20 years and wakes up every day and does what he wants,” Whitney says. Whitney offers the following advice for those who may follow in his footsteps. “Experience is the best teacher. Knowledge is not power; applied knowledge is. If knowledge by itself were power, most librarians would be millionaires.”
Whitney Morgan M-Powerment Solutions LLC www.mpowerment-solutions.com (816) 348-3223
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As life continues to happen for Whitney, he plans to use his products and services to help people across the country. There are also plans to expand. To learn more about Whitney Morgan and M-Powerment Solutions LLC, please contact them directly or visit their website. h
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“I Am Qualified” 24
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By Monica Montgomery Photos Provided by Ernest Sanders Jr. People often say that it’s not how you start but how you finish that matters. As true as this statement is, we can’t ignore that it’s the journey that qualifies you in the end. Ernest Sanders Jr. Esq. is running for 5th Division Circuit Court Judge in Pulaski and Perry Counties and wants the voters to know that he is prepared and qualified to serve them. Sanders was born and raised in a small town in Crossett, in South East Arkansas. Raised by a single parent, Mr. Sanders’s beginning is reminiscent of many others. He and his three brothers were raised by his mother, and he credits his village for helping to raise him and his brothers with the love and values that have gotten him to where he is today. “My mom was, for the most part, a single parent. My father lived in the town, but my mother raised us. They say it takes a village, and it did. Between my grandmother and great-grandmother, aunts, uncles, and neighbors, we were well cared for,” Mr. Sanders explains.
Childhood innocence can be blinding, causing us not to perceive our reality. Growing up, Ernest didn’t understand that he was considered poor. “We were poor, but I didn’t realize it until I was in high school. And even then, poor meant I didn’t have all the things that the other kids had. Like the latest clothes and shoes,” Ernest explains. “This generation knows nothing about commodities. We received government food commodities like powdered milk, powdered eggs, rice, and the big block of cheese that didn’t melt. Things like that,” he continues with a laugh. “But, one thing for sure as a child, I can’t say I ever went to bed hungry or had no place to sleep. Sure, we were still buying our sneakers from the grocery store, but I had shoes. I tell my story often because I want young black men who look like me to see that their beginning doesn’t dictate their end.” Crossett, Arkansas, was still a heavily racially divided town when Ernest was a child, and although the schools were integrated, the neighborhoods were not. Black professionals weren’t a regular sighting.
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“When I was in 3rd grade, my teacher asked the class what they wanted to be when they grew up. I wanted to say something nobody else did. When she got to me, I said I wanted to be an Attorney. I can’t say where I got the idea from. It must have been something I saw on television, but at the time, it was different,” Ernest explained. This desire to be set apart planted a seed in young Ernest that is still bearing fruit today. Once in high school, Ernest excelled in academia, sports, and other extracurricular activities. “I worked hard to do my best no matter what it was. I was that kid who gave it everything I had no matter what.” In high school, Ernest started to see the world, his world, for what it was. As a young black male, he became aware of the racial injustices facing him and people like him. “I remember thinking, ‘That’s not right!’ and wanting to do something about it. That’s when becoming an attorney changed from being a childhood fantasy to a passionate desire. As a lawyer, I could make a difference.” Ernest attended the University of Central Arkansas, earning a B.A. in English and minoring in accounting. “My family didn’t have money for school, so I had to be practical about my education. I studied English because I was told Attorneys had to be good writers, but I minored in accounting just in case I didn’t get into law school,” he explained. Growing up, Ernest says the closest thing to a role model was Thurgood Marshall. Ernest was the first person in his family to go to college. He chose UCA because it wasn’t far from home, and he had friends there he could catch a ride home with on holidays. He participated in track and field at UCA, which helped cover room and board, and continued to work hard at realizing the dream set by his eight-year-old self. Ernest was never under any illusion of who he could trust in a small southern town like Crossett. He went to college with that same understanding. This was challenged when he met Dr. Maurice Webb and Dr. Norb Schedler. “Growing up in a racially divided town, there are some things you don’t do. Sure, we went to school together, but when we went home if you were black, you went to “Black Town.” If you were white, you went to “White Town.” In college, those boundaries, although not physical, impacted my thinking,” Ernest said. “Dr. Webb and Dr. Norb Schedler were the two most influential people in my life during undergrad. Dr. Webb helped me by finding additional scholarships my academics qualified me for. He also got me into the honors college, where I met Dr. Scheduler, the director. Dr. Schedler took me under his wing, and although I was grateful, I was suspicious at first. These two white men were doing all this to help me, and I wasn’t used to it. But they turned out to be great guys and amazing mentors.” With Dr. Schedler’s support, Ernest became the first black graduate of the UCA’s Honors College. In 1988, Ernest applied and was accepted to law school at The University of Virginia, Charlottesville. “When I told Dr. Schedler I was accepted into the UVA, he started jumping up and down with excitement. He
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went on and on about how great it was that I’d gotten in and how proud of me he was. ‘I said, well, yeah, but all of these schools have affirmative action programs. They probably let me in because I was black.’ Dr. Schedler stopped and looked me in the eye…. Thinking about what he said to me still gets me emotional after so many years,” Ernest says, taking a breath. “He looked me in the eye and said, ‘Ernest, you earned this. You are qualified, and don’t let anybody tell you anything different!’ It wasn’t until that moment that I understood how important it was that I saw myself as worthy. I wasn’t qualified because Dr. Schedler said I was. I was qualified because I had put in the work. I will forever be grateful to Dr. Schedler for helping me see that.” Ernest’s former mentor, Dr. Schedler’s words, have remained with him throughout his career. In each office and position Sanders held, he worked hard because he understood what being qualified really meant. It was vital that he proved himself and kept a good reputation. Not because he wanted to impress anyone but because he believed in what he was doing. As a result, Sanders was blessed to have many doors opened to him. After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1991, Ernest returned to Arkansas to work for the Little Rock City Attorney’s office. Next, he became a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with the Sixth Judicial District in Pulaski County. Ernest was the first African American Division Chief for the 6th Judicial District when he was appointed Division Chief over the Youth Crimes Division. This was something Sanders was passionate about. “It dealt with young people, mostly young people of color who were underrepresented. My predecessor had just started the juvenile diversion program, and I was excited to oversee it because it presented a better option for teens arrested on non-violent offenses.” According to Youth.gov, the purpose of diversion programs is to redirect youthful offenders from the justice system through programming, supervision, and support.
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“What I loved about the program is that it gave alternatives for young people who probably shouldn’t have been arrested in the first place. It keeps them from the trauma of being booked and detained. It gave them a chance to make better choices and not have a criminal record follow them for the rest of their lives,” Ernest explained. From there, Ernest became an administrative law judge for the Arkansas State Parole Board. In February of 2010, Ernest was appointed Circuit Judge of the 5th Division Circuit Court in Pulaski and Perry Counties. Sanders presided over both civil and criminal cases as a circuit court judge. His appointment lasted one year. At the end of 2010, Sanders went into private practice. “I never set out to become a judge. Like anything else in my life, I wanted to do my best at whatever I set my hands to,” Ernest explains. “If I’m honest, my biggest motivation at the beginning for becoming an attorney was to escape poverty. I wanted to change my life, and in my pursuit, I learned that mine wasn’t the only life that mattered.” When he heard his friend and colleague was about to retire from the 5th Division Circuit Court position. His first reaction wasn’t to campaign for the position. “I love helping people, and my private practice allows me to do that. So, when several people, including my wife, suggested I run for election, I had to think about it. I knew it would be a large undertaking, and I wasn’t sure if this was the direction I wanted to take. But I kept hearing people say, you are qualified, and we really need someone of your quality and integrity in that position. After much prayer and consultations with family and friends, I decided that I was ready to take on the challenge. I was experienced, and having done the job before, felt I was prepared and qualified to serve as the circuit court judge.” As a man of faith, Ernest says he continued to seek God’s counsel concerning his choice to run. Then he says he received confirmation that he was heading in the right direction. “I was doing a firm walkthrough, and I shared somethings with one of the firm’s partners. He is well known in the legal community, and his endorsement carries a lot of weight. After the seated judge announced his retirement, that partner called and said, ‘I appeared before you during your appointment as a circuit judge, and you did such a great job that should you be elected, I have no doubt you would be a great judge.’ That was the confirmation I needed to know I was on the right path.” Running a campaign is expensive and exhausting, but Ernest believes that his hard work, experience, commitment to fairness, and belief that everyone deserves to be treated justly qualifies him to sit as the Circuit Court Judge of the 5th Division. He hopes that on election day, the people will agree and give him the opportunity to serve them. h
“If I’m honest, my biggest motivation at the beginning for becoming an attorney was to escape poverty. I wanted to change my life, and in my pursuit, I learned that mine wasn’t the only life that mattered.”
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Dr. Shmeka Gibson Innate Success Corp www.vemashe.com Dr. Shmeka Gibson is an author, international speaker, business owner, and college professor. Shmeka is the founder and CEO of Innate Success Corp. Innate Success Corp. provides various business options, tools, and resources needed to develop business owners, organize business practices, enhance individual leader traits, and promote potential business leaders. Innate Success Core, which is one of our fivesubsidiary businesses, provides contract services to organizations in need of organizational infrastructure development and program management, research, and application to funding opportunities and data analytics. Another popular business under the Innate Success model is I.S. Cares which houses the Mentorship Program. Innate Success Corp. partners with Dress for Success Memphis to implement the “Successful Women in Business” Mentorship Program. The program utilizes the Changing the Mindset Concept© developed by Innate Success that implements a framework to help women in business and entrepreneurship. Innate Success developed and launched the program as a pilot in Fall 2020, and with the help of Dress for Success Memphis, the program flourished and now has an organizational home. The program’s goal is to help small businesses develop or enhance effective and sustainable business practices. The program participants were not required to have an established business, but if they had the time, desire and commitment, the program would help them achieve their goal of entrepreneurship. The 6-month business mentorship program offers intensive business, legal and financial consulting and resources to help businesses upskill and upscale their business. This program is offered to start-up, grassroots, and small business owners with an operating budget of less than $250,000 annually. Presently, this program has helped over 46 African American business leaders and raised over $75,000 in grant funding to support the work. The goal is to help these businesses create an organizational infrastructure and enhance stability to upscale the economy and communities. h
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By Ellen Richardson Photos Provided by Still Shots Photography
Over the last few years, there has been a heightened awareness of the health inequities that exist in the African American/Black community as well as the impact that racism has on health outcomes. These inequities and racism, however, are not new and have shown to have a profound and negative impact on Black Americans. A group of advocates throughout the Triad and the Research Triangle areas of North Carolina are addressing health disparities through equity, engagement, advocacy, and trust. Led by Nurse Scientist and researcher Dr. Schenita Randolph, The HEEAT Research Lab is committed to finding solutions and ensuring the improved health of the Black community, specifically in the areas of sexual health and HIV. “The addressing Health Disparities through Engagement, Equity, Advocacy, and Trust Research (HEEAT) Lab was established alongside fellow researchers, nurses and clinicians, entrepreneurs, and community members dedicated to addressing health inequities within the Black community,” said Randolph. “We highlight the significant role of Fathers in promoting adolescent male sexual health, while recognizing the impact that experiences of racism and discrimination have had and continue to have on Black males health and health outcomes.” Randolph also shared that the Centers for Disease Control has identified racism as a serious threat to the public’s health. As a nurse for over 25 years, Randolph has always had a heart for educating young Black males and females, primarily due to the disparities in health, specifically for sexually transmitted infections and HIV. “Before working on the academic side of healthcare, I was a public health nurse. I saw young males and females coming in for HIV and other sexual health screenings. I also understand as a Black woman how race and gender discrimination impacts health care delivery and outcomes,” she said. “Witnessing all of this, I made it my mission to do what I can to address health inequities within our community through education, research, and advocacy.”
“We are partnering with the community to develop and implement culturally and socially relevant interventions that will promote health particularly for Black women and Black male adolescents and young adults.”
Randolph partners with trusted community members, such as barbershop and beauty salon owners, to provide the education and resources necessary to promote health in the community. The HEEAT lab has developed an intervention called UPDOs (Using PrEP, Doing it for Ourselves) Protective Styles. UPDOs Protective Styles is a salon-based intervention developed in partnership with researchers and the
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community to promote awareness, knowledge, and uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Black women living in the United States south. Black women in the US make up 12 percent of the population but account for 60 percent of new HIV cases among women. PrEP is a pill that, if taken daily, reduces the risk of one contracting HIV. It has been proven to be 99% percent effective. However, less than one percent of Black women who are eligible for this preventative measure actually use it. The HEEAT Lab just wants women to be aware and knowledgeable so they can make informed decisions about their own health. UPDOs takes a comprehensive approach and addresses overall health of Black women in the US, including HIV, cardiovascular disease, and intimate partner violence. This salon-based intervention has partnered with salon owner Tamica Campbell Hughes of Kotur Kutz in Greensboro, NC. Hughes offers awareness and education for area African American women about PrEP or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. Educating trusted partners like Tamica Hughes about these and other women’s health issues such as cardiovascular disease and intimate partner violence, can have a widespread community impact. According to Hughes, her salon’s partnership with Randolph and The HEEAT Research Lab has been life-changing. “Partnership with this social research lab offers knowledge that will help stylists and their clients provide support for improving women’s health. The truth is that by reaching one woman, you can change the world. Getting the knowledge is the first step to protecting you and your body, and this is a great life-altering message for stylists to share with women throughout the community,” Hughes shared. Thanks to other available social, behavioral programs like The Talk, Randolph and her partners are assisting parents in having the necessary tools to support and guide young Black male youth in their sexual health and understand the impacts of racism on health behaviors and outcomes. “This web-based application includes podcasts that feature perspectives from fathers, videos that showcase the importance of seeking racial equality, as well as other valuable content that helps start the conversations between fathers and sons. We also encourage mothers to leverage this information to help them build healthy relationships with their sons and provide resources to help their sons make healthy sexual health decisions,” Randolph says. Partners for The TALK include Gene Blackmon, Barber and Owner of Prestige Barber College in Greensboro, NC, and Akili Hester, Barber and Owner of Black Wall Street Barbershop in Durham, NC.
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The HEEAT Research Lab: UPDOs Program Development Team Pictured from left to right are Dr. Ragan Johnson, Co-Investigator, Dr. Schenita Randolph, Director and Principal Investigator, Allison Johnson, Clinical Research Coordinator, Crystal Taylor, Executive Producer for UPDOs, Tamica Campbell Hughes, Community Partner and Stylists, and Corrina Dunn, Community Partner and Stylists. Other members of the HEEAT Lab not pictured include Gene Blackmon, Barber and Owner Prestige Barber College, Akili Hester, Barber and Owner of Black Wall Street Barbershop, Aaron Lyle Jr., CEO Black Fly on the Wall, Dr. Harvey Hinton, Terrance Pleasants, Davon Washington, Dr. Cherie Conley, Dr. Selena Monk, Candice Lewis, and Kelvis Tann.
Randolph describes herself as a “Nurse Scientist who genuinely cares about her work having a real-world impact in the community.” When asked what lies in the future for the HEEAT, Randolph has a clear response. “As a researcher in academia, it is important for us to test our interventions to evaluate if they have the intended outcomes for which they were created, so we are now recruiting women to test the UPDOs intervention site.” Without any question, Randolph and The HEEAT Lab are doing their part to improve the health of Black Americans. Please visit their website for more information. h
The HEEAT Research Lab www.theheeat.nursing.duke.edu schenita.randolph@duke.edu Kansas City - May/June 2022
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The Wealthy Child “I am a Change Agent on the path to create a culture of wealth for the next generation”
By Terry L. Watson Photos Provided by Ronald Pollard
Delvin Sullivan is a Dave Ramsey-certified Financial Coach who believes that “The earlier money can make sense to a child, the better chance they have at being financially responsible adults.” A native of Huntsville, AL, Delvin is the author of The Wealthy Child, a book designed to teach youth about money and the world’s economic process. As someone who grew up in public housing, Delvin’s passion always led him to mentoring youth and posing as a positive role model for kids, particularly young men. Using the basic principles of wealth, he published his book to level the playing field and offer all children the opportunity to become wealthy through knowledge. Some of the topics discussed in the Wealthy Child production are budgeting, banking, investing, credit, income, and assets. “I am introducing children to the basics of financial literacy in a fun and engaging way and teaching kids about the importance of earning, saving, and spending responsibly. My goal is to ensure they understand the importance of earning, saving, and spending responsibly,” Delvin says. In addition to being an author, personal finance coach, and entrepreneur, Delvin is also a US Army veteran and recipient of the Unsung Hero Award. He holds degrees from Alabama A&M University and Murray State University. He is married to Felichia, and they have two children, Tierra and Jordan, along with three grandchildren. Delvin shares, “I began teaching at the Sparkman Homes Boys and Girls Club in 2017, and decided to develop a book and workbook that would give the students something they could take home with them.” The vision for The Wealthy Child is connected to Delvins awareness of the many challenges that youth face, especially within his community. “Studies show 80% of crimes that send people to prison have something to do with money. I want to change that narrative by teaching children how to earn, save, grow, and respect the dollar at an early age,” he says.
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He shares that he loves being able to change the course of a child’s life by ensuring he or she is financially literate. He is also inspired by youth development and making a difference in his community. Growing up in similar situations that many of the young individuals he’s helping are, Delving feels that he has a sincere responsibility to create realistic opportunities for them. “I made it to where I am because of the men placed in my life at the Boys and Girls Club. It was Ugene Phillips, Cedric Wherry, and Tyrone Langford. They would preach, “if you want to be an eagle, don’t hang around turkey’s”. That kept me from becoming a product of my environment,” Delvin says. Delvin’s future goal is to continue to change the lives of millions of children by introducing them to the world’s economic process. To learn more about The Wealthy Child, please visit their website. h
Delvin Sullivan The Wealthy Child
www.thewealthychild.net 256-468-3227
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MAGAZINE
Cutest Baby
Marrel Gravely Foushee The son of Sunny Gravely Foushee and Marrel Foushee
To submit photographs to be placed in the Huami Magazine Cutest Baby feature, please send a detailed email to huami.cutestbaby@gmail.com
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T U C K E R By Terry L. Watson Photos Provided by Verlancia Tucker It has been said to never judge a book by its cover. For Verlancia Tucker, this assessment is spot on. She is the founder of BOHEMIA Cares, a non-profit organization that offers self-love programs while spreading mental health awareness. The quality programs provide enrichment, mentorship, outreach, educational consulting, and social-emotional learning to individuals and families. “BOHEMIA Cares is not just any nonprofit organization, we are a healing ministry. We allow individuals to share openly about self-love and mental illness in safe, nonjudgmental spaces. We allow God to shine through us so that others will know there is a living God and Savior. When people look and hear me, I want them to see and hear God,” she says. Verlancia grew up in the Delta (Lee County), Arkansas, and is the ninth daughter of ten children born to Jeff and Henrietta Tucker. She is also a mother, educator, mentor, advocate, personal development coach and survivor. Verlancia attended Lee High Schools in Marianna, Arkansas, and has earned a Master of Secondary Education degree and two Bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration, with majors in Advertising-Public Relations and Marketing from UA-Little Rock. She is an Arkansas Educator licensed in Business Technology and endorsed in Career Orientation and English as a Second Language, and has worked as a classroom teacher for ten years with mentorship and teacher supervisor experience. Furthermore, she currently serves as the Education Committee Chair for the Jacksonville Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Verlancia founded BOHEMIA Cares on January 8, 2018. It was an action she shared that God commissioned her to do. “I experienced mental illness at age 17, mainly due to my exposure to domestic violence. Yet, I was fortunate to graduate high school as an honor student, finishing in the top 10% of my graduating class. I attended a community college during my senior year in high school, all while battling the silent monster,” she says. Verlancia moved out on her own and enrolled in college at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock immediately after high school. “After graduating from high school, I thought I would become an accountant and a cosmetologist. After my first two accounting courses, that soon changed. Nonetheless, I graduated from barber school with barber and barber instructor licenses, but I couldn’t practice in that field due to neck and back issues,” she says. As she got older, she ignored the trauma from her early childhood but would find herself involved with another trying situation. Verlancia dated a guy who turned out to be a stalker. During that time, she also lost a family member to gun violence. “Life became so dark and hopeless, and mental illness attacked my mind yet once again,” she shares. Kansas City - May/June 2022
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“My mental stability plummeted again, and everything that could go wrong was going wrong. I realized that I could no longer manage my daily home life and teach school, and I needed mental counseling. I had to go get help, or death would have been the end result because I had already planned my suicide.” Years would pass, and Verlancia continued to battle depression with the assistance of medication. She also got married, had a son, and was divorced, all within a year. After being left to raise her son alone, Verlancia says she struggled to maintain a smile and work through the heartache and pain. During her trials, Verlancia says there were some bright moments also. “While my personal life was going downhill, my professional life was looking up. I landed a job at a middle school and taught Keyboarding, mentored at-risk girls, and served as the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) Advisor. Through all of the hustle and bustle, Verlaneca says she lost herself. “Life became so cumbersome and overwhelming. My mental stability plummeted again, and everything that could go wrong was going wrong. I realized that I could no longer manage my daily home life and teach school, and I needed mental counseling. I had to go get help, or death would have been the end result because I had already planned my suicide,” she shares. Verlancia shares that she contemplated suicide because she was in a dark, dark place. Thankfully, she says, God intervened, and she endured countless sleepless days and nights filled with crying, worrying, despair, anxiety, and bitterness. “Even though I managed to attain college degrees and accolades, it meant absolutely nothing because my inner joy and peace were in a place of unrest and discontent. I replayed a lot of negative thoughts and actions. Honestly, I felt as if I had lost my soul. I had a real fistfight with the devil to regain my soul. It was God and therapy that saved my life. My therapist taught me coping strategies, and I learned how to set healthy boundaries for my peace and healing. I then began to shed the resentment and pain that I had harbored for years. I learned so much about myself during the therapy sessions. I realized that I had been battling with myself for a long time. I learned how to identify my triggers and be okay with eliminating toxic people from my inner circle. I realized that what occurred in my life was not a mistake or error. I also asked God why I endured so much pain, heartache, and suffering. God told me, “In order for you to be able to help other people, you had to go through it.” In that moment, I gained a sense of peace and acceptance, and God began to speak the vision of this organization to me,” she says. Verlancia says she is inspired by people who push past adversity and defy the odds. “I am inspired by people who love others when others mistreat them and those who value other people, regardless of where they come from or what they look like,” she says. Her friends of more than 45 years, Pam, Cita, Relynda, Claudette, and Tammy have inspired her the most. “They have been by my side through it all, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the indifferent. They have allowed me to be me and embraced me when my life was in shambles, and they celebrate with me today. They have challenged me to become better, and are my accountability partners in life.” Moving forward, Verlancia hopes to write adult and children’s books about mental health and self-love. She also hopes to open a charter school one day, and open a transition home for single mothers who struggle with mental illness. Her personal goal is to become a professional print model. To learn more about Varlancia and BOHEMIA Cares, please visit their website. h
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www.bohemiacares.org
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