Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenne Shepherd.
Jenne, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I guess I am considered a politician now and as I type or say it, it sounds pretty funny to me. I recently ran for House District 57 here in Atlanta, GA. I have worked many jobs but there has been two important jobs I have had the privilege to have which has lead me to be a politician and believe or not both of those jobs were not salaried positions.
I was the president of a Historic neighborhood here in SW Atlanta called Adair Park for three years. As a leader, I have had the privilege to be the defender of helping legacy renters keep their place of residence, press the Beltline to engage with local residents pertaining to new developments and I have been able to revamp a local park. These are just a few things that crossed my path as president of Adair Park.
My other most important job is being a mother. I am the mother of a soon to be 22-year-old man and a 21-month-old little girl. In September of 2018, I was blessed to give birth to my little momma. After giving birth, I became extremely ill to the point of death. I went back to the local hospital a few days after coming home with my daughter and from that one visit started months of my life hanging in the balance. Georgia can be a dangerous place for a black woman to give birth and I found that out because of my own personal horrifying experience, It was a few days after being discharged I would go to my primary care who would then send me to a hospital on the other side of town. After arriving to that hospital, my family and I were told that I was dying and that the physicians/staff were in panic mode to figure out a way to save my life.
Two months in the hospital, another month of home healthcare and physical therapy, on top of months of learning to walk and take care of myself again. When I was finally able to take care of myself, it was April of 2019. This experience pushed me to be and do more. Being in a place where you cannot advocate for yourself, a place where you have exceptional health insurance but your ailments are not taken seriously and a place where you are totally dependent on other people just to go to the restroom taught me that I can do more to help my community. I am blessed to say the least to be standing and breathing and I understood that my days as a community advocate where to be pushed to another level.
Has it been a smooth road?
My life is less than charmed. I have had some experiences that have left me to ask myself, “how do I move forward”? after the incident of having my daughter for a moment, I felt defeated. I struggled with anxiety of doctor visits, hospitals and life as a mom again. Then I decided to run for office. There was nothing easy about embarking on something you absolutely know nothing about, let alone something you never dreamed of doing in a million years prior to 2018. I have had many bumps and bruises with this campaign, but with everything comes learning lessons that you cannot help but grow from. Just to focus on the campaign, trying to understand deadlines, how to file contributions, the headache of trying to raise money, not having enough money, feeling inferior because you don’t have money compared to the other candidates and the list goes on. It was hard to not have the capacity to focus on candidate forums when you are trying to connect so man dots and your help is nil to none. Outside of giving birth, Campaigning is the hardest thing that an individual can commit to do.
Please tell us more about your work.
The campaigning is over but having the motivation to stand up for our communities is never over. Before election day, I connected with two other black women to start what we call “Politicking 101”. After George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor it was evident that we ALL need to do something. I was angry. I cried every other day and I kept asking myself “What are we going to do as leaders?” I contacted two very innovative, strong, intelligent and benevolent Sisters Christie Peters and Sohna Harzeez I asked them how can we better equip our communities. We understood that many black Americans do not understand the structure of government and why it is most important to vote in your local elections and not just the presidency. We decided the best was to do that was to educate them on how to be intentional with their vote! We study for ourselves the branches of government and have shared the chain of command on Facebook Live. We discuss the history of Democratic and Republican parties and how Black Americans have been affected by these parties. Most of all we share information to help people understand the levels of government and make them well-informed voters. Our live comes on Mondays at 9 pm. This is just the start of so much more we can do educate and empower our communities.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The most attractive thing about Atlanta for me when I was thinking about moving here over 16 years ago from Long Island, NY, is the black businesses and how they are able to flourish/grow. I still view Atlanta as a great place to start a business and an even better place to connect and engage in our black communities. It can really be a hub for greatness when building groundbreaking and strong communities. I believe showing an interest and taking the time to equip each other with tools needed to succeed, we can be a true Black American force to be reckoned with where other communities across the country can learn and be just as effective, if not more.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jenneshepherd.com
- Email: jenne@voteshepherd.org
- Instagram: jenne4gahd57
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Politicking-101-112626387153551/
- Twitter: @jenneshepherd
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