Joy is a master storyteller and voice for the underserved.
She has a passion for helping children and uses her platform as a journalist and community leader
to empower, elevate and inspire.
LATEST NEWS
SPECIAL PROJECT: The H.W. Sewing Mural Dedication
(3.16.24)
The H.W. Sewing Mural narrates the life of my great Uncle Henry Warren Sewing and the pivotal role his Douglass State Bank, the first Black bank in the Midwest, played in the fight for economic freedom. The mural, painted by Hank Smith in 1974, poignantly illustrates the impact of the bank on our communities, transcending state lines from Kansas to Missouri.
Until fall 2023, the mural was displayed in the Douglass State Bank building in Kansas City, Kansas. Liberty Bank and Trust, which now owns the bank building, was closing the building location when I learned about the mural in 2022. Liberty generously gifted the mural to the Sewing family. I spent nearly 1.5 years searching for a proper place to permanently house the artwork. In October 2023, the Sewing family donated the painting to the Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City.
This compelling art piece spans 12 feet and encapsulates not only the individual success of H.W. Sewing, but also serves as a powerful symbol of the collective achievements of the Black community. On March 16, 2024, we celebrated the dedication of the H.W. Sewing Mural at the Black Archives of the Midwest in Kansas City with more than 100 people in attendance.
My hope is that families and children visiting the museum will be able to learn about the remarkable life of H.W. Sewing and be inspired.
See KCTV5 coverage here and Kansas City Star coverage here.
8th Annual Year of Joy Holiday Ice Skating Party 2023
Each year, I host the Year of Joy Holiday Ice Skating Party at Discovery Green for children from underserved communities across Houston. Nearly `1,000 children have participated since it started. For more information about the party and Year of Joy, click here.
A Houston ‘unsung hero’
In December 2020, Joy was named one of five “Houston unsung heroes” and was featured in the “Monuments by Craig Walsh” exhibit at Discovery Green Park in Downtown Houston. Her face was projected onto one of the park’s majestic trees.
APPEARANCES
Interview with NY Times Best-Selling Author Tia Williams hosted by Kindred Stories Book Store.
Interview with music legend Gladys Knight for Memorial Hermann’s Razzle Dazzle luncheon for breast cancer
In conversation with CBS News Anchor Michelle Miller about her memoir, “Belonging”
Houston Public Library presents author Terry McMillan
Conversation with authors
Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
and Tiphanie Yanique
The Joy Hour with best-selling authors Attica and Tembi Locke
Hearst Presents:
The Met 150 with Andrew Bolton
For Mother’s Day 2023, KHOU’s “Great Day Houston” with Deborah Duncan.
NABJ Presents: A Conversation with Magnolia Network stars
Best-Selling Children's Book
“Ava and the Prince: The Adventures of Two Rescue Pups,” is a sweet children's book about rescue pups, love, family and learning life lessons. The book has been selected by the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation for its home-library program. (Click here to read the Houston Chronicle feature. See Fox TV segment below.)
Get your copy now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, other retailers. Click link below