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Juanita L. Jones is the Founder & Executive Director of Keep My Hood Good Community Campaign.  KMHG was established in April 2009. The mission is to promote personal, civic, and community responsibility for underserved, underprivileged youth through structured activities that encourage breaking generational poverty. 

Juanita was born in El Paso, Texas & raised with both parents & 1 brother in McKenzie, TN.  Upon high school graduation, she studied Psychology & Criminal Justice at University of TN at Martin on a Baton Twirling Scholarship while working weekends at the McKenzie Police Department.  In spite of her Dad’s Army career, Juanita decided to join the United States Marine Corps.

After receiving an Honorable Discharge, Juanita moved back to her hometown.  She gained employment in the office of a staffing service & as a volunteer McKenzie Firefighter.  Later, she wanted more of the city life so she had requested a job transfer to the Manpower Jackson’s office.  After moving, Juanita was offered the Branch Manager position. The staffing service nominated her to participate in the Leadership Jackson sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce; whereas, she became Leadership Jackson Class of 2001. 

Later, Juanita accepted a much slower paced environment at a Grocery Warehouse as Office Supervisor.  Finding out that a few years later, that slow pace was not her character, Juanita opened a transportation business, June 2006, Jay & Jai Transportation, transporting children through private & state contracts.  Majority of her children resided in the East Side of Jackson.  It was after meeting with a 40-year-old great grandmother that she realized the neighborhood children had visions but did not know how to capture their dreams due to the lack of guidance from generation to generation. Then, is when Juanita received her vision to give hope to the underserved & underprivileged youth and she named it Keep My Hood Good Community Campaign.

Education:

Merry High School 

Jackson State Community College, Political Science, Jackson, TN. 

Lane College (Jackson, TN), University of Washington (Seattle, WA) 

Certified Law Enforcement Training, Tennessee and Washington State Law Enforcement Training Academies 

Specialist in Criminal & Narcotics Investigation & Basic Law, Tennessee Law Enforcement Academy, Donelson, TN

Certified Public Administrator, University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service, Knoxville, TN.

Certificate – American Baptist College of Theology (Jackson Campus), Jackson, TN.

Occupations and Community Service: 

President of the Jackson Madison County NAACP 

S. Army (Vietnam Era) Veteran 

Sergeant, Jackson Police Department

Founding Member and Deputy Commander of the JMC Metro Narcotics Division

Investigator, Tennessee Public Defenders Office (Jackson) 

Founding Member of the Women Resource and Rape Assistance (WRAP)

University of Washington Police Department, Seattle, Washington

Environmental Manager, Daw Technologies Inc. (Seattle, Boston, and Grenoble, France)

Former Elected Madison County Commissioner (1990-1998)

NewsTalk 101.5FM, News Director and Host of “Carter and Company,”

President and Founding Member of the Jackson Midtown Optimist Club and

Co-Founder of the Jackson-Madison County Imagination Library

Former President of the East Jackson Boys and Girls Club 

Past Board Chair, United Way of West Tennessee 

Carter is one of eleven children born to Hal C, Carter and Annie (Reid) Carter of Jackson, Tennessee. Carter has four exceptional children: Kenya P. (Ed), Hill, Kimica Nicole (Bernard) Burton, John Maxwell Carter, and Matthew Chase Carter. eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Carter enjoys working with others, watching documentaries, reading non-fiction books, playing tennis and traveling to unknown sites. 

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Addison Richmond is a 15 year old black, female, entrepreneur, born and raised right here in Jackson, Tennessee. She is deeply passionate about baking and cooking ever since she was little. Growing up and watching her parents cook and bake has always been a big inspiration for her. She has always loved being able to watch them in the kitchen and credits their love of cooking with her own passion to cook and start Peppermint Addie’s in downtown Jackson.  It’s why she loves it so much!!!

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Erit Turner is a Jackson native that attended West Jackson Elementary, Tigrett Middle, and Jackson Central-Merry. He graduated from the University of Memphis and Freed Hardeman University. Turner began his career in education and coaching at North Side High School as a special education assistant and assistant coach. Later, he became a PE teacher at North Parkway Middle and continued to coach at North Side, then transitioned to coach at the University School of Jackson for four seasons. In 2018, he was selected JMCSS Teacher of the year.

Currently, he is the head coach at JCM High. He’s a huge believer in God and worships at Cane Creek Missionary Baptist church under the leadership of Apostles Larry and Teresa Robinson.

Links

Library of Congress’ Black History Month, click here.

National Archives African American History, click here.

African American History & Culture in the United States, click here.

National Park Service, click here.

National Museum of African American History & Culture, click here.

For Kids

National Geographic KIDS, click here.