Echoes of Us featuring Jynai McDonald

Hey, hey, hey, everyone. Welcome back to Echoes of Us. I'm Marata Odaya. And I'm Sarah Bien-Aime. And oh, hold up. Oh, she actually got tea in here. Right. I'm a little under the weather, you guys. So forgive me. But, you know, Echoes of Us is all about those in the community who inspire us in a culture that shapes us. And today we have the founding CEO of Urban Impact Initiative Massachusetts. Janae McDonald is here with us. Hey, girl, how you doing? This is so exciting. Welcome, welcome. How are you today? Thank you. I'm great. Really appreciative and happy to be here and to be able to share this space with you. Oh, yeah. So happy to have you. Can you give the viewers a little insight as to who you are? What do you do? All of that good stuff. OK, I'll do that and I'll try to keep it somewhat brief because I know we have some things to get into. But hello, everyone. My name is Janae McDonald. I'm the founding CEO of Urban Impact Initiative Massachusetts, affectionately referred to as Urban Impact, because sometimes that can be a lot to say. I am a lifelong resident of the city of Springfield, born and raised here. I also like to say a daughter of the community. I am a mother of three wonderful children, sports mom, wrestling mom, basketball mom, tennis mom, dance mom, all the mom, broke bestie mom, right? I love that one. But yeah, and so got my start now. I'm the founding CEO of Urban Impact Initiative Massachusetts, but always have worked in nonprofit spaces and probably I would say my first start in a nonprofit space and working with at risk youth and underprivileged population is actually with the Springfield Urban League. And so I just want to take a moment and give some honor to Henry Thomas, the third, who was the CEO of the Urban League and unfortunately passed but left a beautiful legacy. And so I actually had an opportunity to work underneath his leadership as a youth advisor for an after school program. And so that was very important for me because it was after I had to stop going to school and essentially like drop out of college for the first time because I couldn't afford to stay. And then I later went on to be an adult learner after having my children and graduated from Bay Path University for their Saturday accelerated program for the women's. I think now it's called the Women's College. Then it was Bay Path College. Now it's Bay Path University, but have always worked in spaces of community service. I have done everything from managed regional education programs, young parents programs under Department of Transitional Assistance. Always been an advocate. And we'll probably get a chance to like go over some of those like funny moments or stories. Got a really great base in learning how to use my voice and my power, working with Western Massachusetts neighbor to neighbor. And then that's also how I ended up running for office. I'm not sure if I put that in my bio, but that's a big piece of how my name really got out there and how I got put on the map in Springfield as far as my voice outside of just the work that I do. But I'm going to stop there. Yeah, there's a lot. A lot. Yeah, the way that we kind of found out about you is one of our web producers was writing an article about a recent honor and it had your name in it. And we were like, wait, what? That's 2020. He came up to us. He was like, he was like, she needs to be on Echoes of Us. And I said, we'll make it happen. Oh, I love it. Yeah. So shout out to John for that. We're just telling him that you're here. And, you know, it's you've done a lot. I mean, you've had amazing leadership as well. Henry Thomas, the third, an amazing leader. And I mean, there's so much I want to get into. But let's start with you growing up in Springfield. And kind of was this kind of advocacy? What where did that all start? Right. I would say it started at home with my father. He's always been someone who always has taught me to, like, stand up for yourself, you know, speak up for yourself. If you think that you don't like something and maybe the way you're being treated or what you're being subjected to. And he always told me, do it even if it's me. And I think that's something that maybe he came to like in a lightweight regret, because I was the type of kid where I would write like manifestos and tape it to my door. So I remember like one year we lived in a mixed faith household. So my grandparents, who have been married now for going on 60 years, but they are separate faiths. And so we didn't have traditional things like Christmas trees and things like that inside of the house. So I had got like this little mini Christmas tree and I put it in my room. And my grandfather wanted me to remove the Christmas tree. And so I remember just writing like this whole story on like why it's my room. It's my space. I don't want to pay for anything. Right. I'm a kid. I don't pay any bills. But right. And I like was angry and I stuck it on my door. I remember boycotting the quality of the school lunches when I was in high school. And I actually started to create like a co-op of lunch options. So I would collect like two, three dollars from all of the kids. I would go shopping and I would come in with like fruit cups and other alternatives. And so that actually led to me having a meeting with the dean of the school and an alleged representative from the department that provides the food to talk about what were some of the issues the food was like in these little tinfoil things. It wasn't high quality. So I guess it's always lived in me and it's always come out of me as a child. And as I got older, I learned that I didn't have to sit and be quiet or be disgruntled about the conditions that were around me. Other experiences like being a member of the debate team, I think is something that's been really helpful to help me craft not only what I want to say and the message that I want to get across to people or the broader community, but how to prepare for what the obstacles or challenges that the opposition might put in my way. So I also like I said, I talked about a little bit in my intro, but working with this organization called Neighbor to Neighbor is where I really learned, one, there's power in numbers, two, that I can say something, right? So I didn't know that I could contact my legislator and request a meeting with them or send them an email and they should be expected to respond to me as their constituent. I didn't know that to run for office, it was as simple as getting a certain amount of signatures, qualifying and getting on the ballot. I thought that you had to come from an affluent family or an affluent neighborhood. And in the city of Springfield, you know, we still only have ever elected two Black women to the Springfield City Council. So and one of those elections actually happened after her and I both ran at large. So prior to that, there had only been one. So there just weren't a lot of these examples of what I identified with or what I thought was possible to do. And it is possible. Yeah. And look, it's so much more that she has to tell us. But we do have to take a break. When we come back, we'll see some pictures and hear more from Janae. You're watching it because of us. We'll be right back. Hey, y'all, we're back with Janae McDonald, founding CEO of Urban Impact. I'll stop it right there. As you said, I didn't do that. So we have some photos that you so kindly sent us. So we're going to kind of go through them and just chat about them. Oh, this one, I beat this one earlier. Isn't this so cute? So this is a part of this was in New York City, actually at a garden party. So they do an annual garden party. And I think it's like the Queen's Botanical Garden. And so one of the things that I love to do, I get to talk about this in my intro outside of like doing community where being a mom is I love to travel, but I love to travel with intention and kind of purpose of market research. And so I've been really trying to get into a festival going to see that how other communities are curating tourism, how they're curating culture and just creating alternative spaces for enjoyment of the broader community. So the garden party really excited me because I could see us doing something like that in Forest Park, among other things. Or even because now that what is it? Magazine Street Park is has been recently done. We can probably start something like on a smaller scale. But yes, that's that. My girlfriends and I, we did a sunflower theme. We also have a charcuterie business called Fire Blossom Cafe. And so we did our charcuterie stuff and my most of us wore yellow. And it was just a beautiful time. There were people out. People were doing line dances and there were different sponsors and there were a lot of black vendors. And it was just a beautiful, beautiful time. So very soon you'll be bringing that to Springfield. That's what I would like to do. So I did that. And I also did the Roots Festival, which was I think last weekend. That was amazing. And it's another opportunity, I think, for us to really think about how we host festival culture. And I know when I posed a question on social media, some people were worried about like permits or saying like actual Springfield residents hosting it. But I think one thing that people are forgetting about things like that is the tourism aspect. Yeah. And the goal is to draw people from other places. There were people coming from Chicago, coming from I think the farthest might have been California, people coming from Florida. So it doesn't always have to be about what you think the capacity that community has. It's really about what is the capacity to draw people outside in. Yeah. One of the solutions that I actually think about is all of this talk around a basketball Hall of Fame and a Hall of Fame weekend and us potentially losing that. If we were able to do something else to curate attention around that, it might be an opportunity for us to continue to host it. Right. So maybe it looks something like a hoopla festival or a celebrity basketball weekend festival. And there's music and vendors and things like that. Oh, yeah. Oh, I'd be there. Listen up, y'all. It's OK. Oh, my new love. My new love, besides my children, the gun block. OK, my yeah. And my brother, very historic. And the building itself is historic, built circa 1830. There's a very historic piece inside of it. So a lot of people, when they talk about gun block, they like to say like, oh, that's where George Washington was. I'm like, actually, George Washington's a little bit before that. But the bar that is inside of gun block, which we are diligently working to preserve, was actually across the street in something called the Rockingham Inn or Tavern. That, I think, is the place that people are referring to that George Washington may have been at. So really excited to be able to have history with inside of history and then been doing some research at Westfield University actually has a pretty good like catalog of black American history within the city of Springfield. And while it may not have totally encompassed slavery, but it definitely encompassed just like equity issues or like how this was a place, although we were still subjected to like prejudice and racism, but it was still like a level above and being able to learn skills or do certain industries, earning higher wages, owning homes and things like that. And that's really relative to why we see neighborhoods like Mason Square in a McKnight neighborhood, which I live in, that still have some of that like black home ownership and your first step to generational wealth. But so the gun block is going to be very special. It's going to be a part of our social equity program for the Urban Impact Initiative program. And so what we're going to be doing is we do behind the wall reentry work and we do women in recovery support work. So the goal is, is that we're able to do this work with women while they're incarcerated, train them, support them. If it's a right fit, they're able to work at the building. And we have this social enterprise model where the people that are being most impacted are given an opportunity to earn highly and be a part of ownership, essentially. Before we go on to the next picture, can I mention that I did meet Denae about six months ago, but she doesn't remember me. The story behind this was so great with the gun block building, so she got the ownership of it. But the story behind it, it was kind of hard for you to get the ownership of it. Right, because a lot of owners were trying to get a hold of it. And you went like the extra mile and finally got approved. And I feel like that was the story right there, too. Yeah. So the ownership piece was weird, but also getting the funding that was needed to like kickstart the work because that money was actually attacked or like the previous owner had got like awarded the funds, but never did anything with it, which I thought was odd. And it had sat dormant for like a couple of years or years since they bought it. So I had to do a lot of I don't want to say lobbying because that's not what it was. These aren't legislators, but just had to do a lot of networking and a lot of gray area work. Right. Because some people were trying to say like, oh, you're jumping the line or we don't want to create precedence. And people think that like they can just come in off cycle if it's not emergency and request money. And so I had to really make the case and get them to understand like, no, it's not any of that. This money is not designated to that particular developer. It's about the building. And this is about preservation of the building. And it's about removing blight in Springfield and moving along a project that has been through so many development hands to get it done. So there's a lot of eyes on it right now. There's going to be a lot of eyes on it. We're really grateful to actually be awarded another $300,000 to the CPA. So we're actually up to $550,000. We're confident that's going to allow us to address the outer structure, get those boards off, put windows in. We ran into a whole bunch of snafus with the roof because the rafters were really rotted and they were in worse condition than what we thought. So now you might see that it looks really open. But starting next week, we're going to be closing it up. We're actually going to have a bricklaying ceremony. So I would love if you ladies were able to join us for that. Tony, you hear that? Yeah. I love the police. You know, you love the police. Yeah. You know, there's lots of movement going on. There's progress. There is. An opportunity to, like, purchase a brick and memorialize it for someone. I just want to be, like, innovative and unique about it so that we can hold on to it and do what should have been done. Oh, fantastic. Oh, it's time for another break. That went by really fast. I told you it goes by fast. But we'll be right back with Janae McDonald. You're watching Echoes of Us. We're back. Hope you missed us. Sure you did. We're here with Janae McDonald. We have so many more photos to get into. So I'm not even going to. I'm not talking. Back into it. Let's. OK, so. Yes, honey. My beloved Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated. Fall 22. Centennial Poodle. You know, was really looking for sisterhood. And I just remember the first time that I learned about Greek associations and I just really appreciated the community, the commitment to education. Excelling community service is something that I'm also really big on. I give a lot of my time. I spent time as the acting chair and board of trustees that's been for Technical Community College for over five years. And a lot of people don't realize like it's not you're appointed by the governor, but it's not a paid role. Yeah. So just like a lot of that was really important for me. And the chapter that I came through really had a lot of like community service and really active in the community. So it's very attractive. And really quick story. The first time I went to college was at University of Bridgeport. My R.A. was an S.G. Rho, but I didn't know because I wasn't really familiar. Right. And then like that time, you might only know like other organizations that seem a little more popular. And I but I remember seeing that like blue and gold. And it wasn't until later. And I was like, oh, my gosh, I had exposure my freshman year of college. And she was a great R.A. So, yeah. So now look at you. Now, look, you know, I'm not an authority to. Yes, I am a Zeta. I love I love my Greeks. I'm new to the newer to the game. But I'm still new. Yeah, let's say I'm here. And I'm going to see what I can do. So, you know, yeah. Oh, are these children? Yes. I'm in the middle. There is Judah. He is 16 years old now. To the right is Ruben. And to the left in the gray is his twin sister, Rosalie. They will be 13 next month. Oh, they look like you do that. Yeah. Everyone always says my daughter. They all look alike. Yes. But everyone says, like, my daughter's like my spitting image. She acts like me, too. So sometimes she got an attitude. She's looking at me. I'm looking at her. Mama's girl. Right. Got to watch it. Because she also is like, I want to be just like your mom. So my daughter is on mocha. Yes. So this is actually they came to the shelter. So one of our big annual programs is the warming center at Mason Square. Which we do in partnership with the Wesley United Methodist Church. We are funded by the city of Springfield and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. So Mocha, who does a lot of like health care awareness work in the community, not just for men now, but also for women, they came. They did an information session on health access, health awareness, things to look out for, how to just make healthier decisions. The importance of, you know, having a primary care. If you don't have mass health, how to access mass health. Some of the changes that may be coming to mass health. They raffled off items. They gave goodie bags. I do want to give a shout out to Dr. Gregory Todd, who was absolutely awesome. He had me on his podcast when I first started my partnership with the Hampton County Sheriff's Office. And I believe he's the executive director of Mocha. And so when we had the shelter, they hopped up. They were donating coats and socks, and they came and gave information and they brought snacks and dinner that night. So it was amazing. Yes. Oh, my gosh. We've got three minutes left, guys. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my gosh. We go back. OK, that's the plans, you know. But we know the plan. OK, we can move on. We can move on. This is cute. This is cute. Oh, yes. I wanted to give a little action. So that was at the women's tee at Springfield College where I was invited by my line sister and so on to speak. And it was myself, Tracy Whitfield, at-large city counselor and the owner of. Oh, my gosh, I'm forgetting the name of the cafe on Allen Street. Don't ask me. My Muslim sister, Aisha. So, yes, but we had an opportunity to. And it's really it was a really great opportunity because I actually walked away with an intern for the shelter. One of their masters and social work department students at Springfield College is known for both their athletics and social work programs. So I feel like that was really beneficial. And then some of the other young ladies followed up. So I think there's going to be opportunity there for collaboration and especially because the proximity of where Springfield College is and some of maybe I guess you would call controversy around the perception of are they trying to take over the community? Are they trying to integrate themselves in a community? And so I got a chance to have firsthand to take a step to integration versus take it over. But yeah, I mean, I know I love this photo here. We love a boss. Yeah, that's right. And that's the bomb is bombing. This is my newest photo headshot. I mean, I did like headshots. Lenny Underwood, who is really well known in the community for doing. He's like all the community events and particularly the black events in the city of Springfield. But I needed to update my photos. I had lost a little weight. Well, a lot of weight, 80 pounds. But I need a new headshot. So that's another thing that I've been incorporating, which is like healthier lifestyle movement. I post a lot of like my gym and exercise videos. And it's really awesome. But yes, one of my favorite pictures. Plant mom. Yes. So I'm a mom, human mom. I'm a plant mom. She wasn't all you got, I'm telling you. What did she not do? Oh, and I'm struggling for my life to keep these plants alive because they were very expensive and they are like Amazon, like they're like from the Ecuadorian Amazon or something. You will not get any tips from us. And my grandma likes to joke because she swears I can't keep any plants alive, but she doesn't have any plants in her house. And then she tries to help me out when she thinks I don't water them. And I'm like, don't touch my plants. Like, so, yeah, blossoming plant mom. And then I think lastly was me in Europe. Oh, period. This one? Yes. Which Europe, my first time going to Europe was very integral in how I live my life now, how I prioritize self-care, how I've learned to set boundaries because the pace in which they move and they live and how they romanticize some of the simplest aspects of their life is really was transformational for me when I was going from working for other people and building up their dreams and programs into transitioning into working for myself, building out my dreams and programs to benefit the community. Amazing. Thank you so much. You gave us. I love it. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me. It was like a speed dating girlfriend. I was trying to notice you didn't remember. Well, that's it, guys. Another episode of Echoes of Us next week. I peaked and we have a black police officer. Yeah, you have to stay tuned for that. We got to go. But thanks for joining us. You're watching Echoes of Us. Watch out.