Meet Glass House Collective’s Advisory Council

Things Just Got Real

We are so happy to introduce the new and inaugural cohort of the Glass House Collective Community Advisory Council for 2021. This is a great and passionate group of Glass Farm leaders and emerging community organizers from a cross-section of our neighborhood. From church leaders to business owners to resident activists, the Advisory Council has already hit the ground running holding their first meeting and giving input on several current projects.

Jamila Dunigan – Preschool Teacher, Glass Farm resident, and homeowner.  Jamila was one of the original members of Good Neighbor and loves working as a team to get things done. She brings tons of resources and relationships from within and outside of the community. The two neighborhood issues Jamila says she cares about are affordable housing & speeding.

Rosalyn Stewart-Kalaukoa – Physician liaison, Glass Farm business owner|operator. Rosalyn comes from a family of Glass Street entrepreneurs and is involved with the family business on the commercial corridor including All Good Coffee and Books and the vintage furniture store next door. She was a part of the team that produced the Drive-thru Nativity on Glass Street in December. Rosalyn says her outspokenness and organization skills make her an effective leader whose strength is communications and strategic planning. The issues Rosalyn would like to see addressed in our neighborhood are crime and helping existing homeowners.

Ricardo Noche – Glass Farm community organizer. Ricardo works with our partners at GreenSpaces working with Empower Chattanooga and B.I.G., and serving on the deportation defense team at Tennessee United. Ricardo will be also joining the economic mobility task force this year with CALEB.  Ricardo says his leadership style puts what is right before what is easy. He brings an understanding of people and open-mindedness to his work. The issues Ricardo wants to address are community resiliency and homeownership.

Audrey McClure –  Erlanger, Glass Farm resident, and homeowner. Audrey has been involved in her community for quite some time. She has worked alongside and within Glass House Collective, Good Neighbor, Glass Farm Block Leaders, and the old Glass Farm Neighbor Association. She says she loves serving and staying active as a neighborhood leader. Audrey is most concerned about safety and beautification in Glass Farm. 

JaMichael Jordan – Glass Farm Pastor. Pastor J has been involved in community work through his church ministry, numerous community service projects, and resource distribution in East Chattanooga. Pastor J says seeing injustice compels him to respond with his involvement whether that is through his teachings, mentoring, or public speaking. The issues that concern him the most are equity and family development. 

Deborah Bledsoe – Caregiver, Glass Farm resident, and homeowner.  Deborah is another long-time friend of the Collective and is a supporter of several local organizations. She is a compassionate leader and a people person who is always ready to help others. She brings a relaxed communication style and her gifts as a musician and gospel singer. Deborah’s priority issues for her neighborhood are beautification and safety.

Latoia Glatt, Esthetician, Glass Farm Business owner|operator.  LaToia is an active community volunteer whose business also gives back, especially when it comes to helping youth learn about important health and hygiene practices. Latoia says she wants what’s best for all people around her and as a leader does what needs to be done in order to help others survive and thrive. She brings a strong will and determination to get things done, as well as a spirit of creativity and spontaneity. The issues that concern her the most are beautification and being able to bring the community together as a whole.

Tina Stewart –  Glass Farm business owner. Tina is a longtime East Chattanooga entrepreneur who is continuing to build generational wealth while improving the Glass Street Commercial Corridor. Her Child Development Center has cared for countless neighborhood kids over the years whom Tina no doubt continues to motivate as they become young adults. She brings experience, enthusiasm and skills learned at the Leadership Academy to her advisory role. Tina’s issues in the community are focused on the children. 

ABOUT THE ADVISORY COUNCIL
The Advisory Council will provide input on Glass House Collective’s projects, lend knowledge for community initiatives, and participate in a training program to build neighborhood capacity. Participants will play an active role in decision-making for the future of the neighborhood, meeting to discuss GHC and community issues.

Members will be expected to participate in the following initiatives:

• Glass Street Gateway Intersection Plan
• Equitable Development Initiatives
• Glass House Collective’s Comprehensive Report
• Art Means Business Grant
• Glass Street LIVE 2021

The Advisory Council members will also participate in a community organizing training program aimed at building power at the neighborhood level called “Sway: The People’s Guide to Community Organizing”. This program consists of eight guided sessions with both residents and artists through a curriculum developed by CALEB. 

We are back… 2021 

What a start! 

Welcome back! 

The current state of our world has many of us seeking peace. We are craving calmer times. 

We are reminiscing and waxing very nostalgic over a simpler time. We want to hear and experience the rhythm and heartbeat of live music. We want to eat great meals at amazing restaurants. We want to meet up with our friends and family forsaking that blasted box and its mute function.  

I am convinced that this year is a time of connection and strength. Fortifying our personal relationships and extended support family will be paramount in how we will show up this year.  Understanding that we don’t have to do “all of the things will” be important. I believe that we will rely on those close to us that we hold dear. 

The Nigerian Igbo proverb, ‘Oran a azu nwa’ means “It takes a village to raise a child.” In many different cultures, this sentiment is a way of life.

I first heard this proven theory as a kid sitting in church. The preacher was my dad and he said it with such honesty and with such confidence. As I look back to that time I realize that he was speaking from experience. He grew up in a time where if a neighbor saw you acting up and being mischievous, they would say something to the kid and then tell their parents. I then began to think of those people in my parents’ lives that made up the village in mE and my brother’s life.  We had a full church family, neighbors, teachers, aunts and uncles all to keep us in line. They weren’t always successful in that big job. (Lol)  

What is a village? I mean yeah I guess we kind of know what it is but, after sitting down with Pastor JaMichael Jordan, I have a deeper understanding of what it means. I had the honor of sitting down with Pastor JaMichael Jordan in the sanctuary of The Village Church at 2800 North Chamberlain Avenue. This building is the historic Mount Canaan Baptist Church. The church has not been meeting due to well you know, Covid-19. He agreed to meet mE there to talk.

We took great precautions to have this talk and it was perfect. Pastor J, as he is fondly called, is a young minister with style and great swag. He is welcoming and understanding. Some ministers have a strong intimidating presence. That’s not even close to what I felt. I sensed his foundation in being a believer. He and I are both preacher’s kids. Yes, WE have both heard the rumors and it’s just fine. (Lol)  We met in conversation from that place in our youth. We agreed that we had church folk ready to snitch on us if we stepped out of line.

We talked about the role that the church has played in the past and how it continues in the future. The church has always represented the place we could go for information, for knowledge, and just fellowship. It is through the ministry that the village can be seen. In my very first Heard & Amplified Blog entry, I introduced you to Katherlyn Geter with Purpose Point Health Clinic. Its amazing facility is in partnership with the Village Church. They share the same building. 

The value of the village is only as strong as those that help build it and those that help support its existence. I asked Pastor Jordan why the name Village and his answer was profound. He explained that a village is self-contained. Within the village, all needs were met. We have a grocery store(Save A Lot), coffee shop (All Good Book & Coffee shop) health clinic; Purpose Point Health Clinic. 

The Black church has always been the center of life in communities. 

Pastor Jordan and I spoke about the purpose of the church as we face the future. It is clear that the church will be what it has always been. It is a symbol of strength and love. I

Pastor Jordan and I agreed that in the past the church was the center for news and activism. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr spoke first from the pulpit on the injustices against Black people. 

The Glass Farm Community was a thriving village back in its hay day and it is becoming that again with the deeds and works of many community partners.

We are here for ALL of that!

It’s one thing to talk about being a part of a village but it hits differently when you are actively working within it.  There is a responsibility that comes with that role. There has to be a true desire to serve. The Village Church is playing an important part in the community as well,  defining in their ministry the true meaning of working together for the greater good. 

These blogs are meant to highlight the diverse members, businesses, partners, and residents of the Glass Farm Community. The Village Church has been a cornerstone in the community for years. They opened up and offered free Covid testing, gave out food, and are ready to provide classes as soon as it is safe to meet. 

It was a great honor to sit and just talk with a young man with seasoned wisdom. 

If you want to learn more about The Village Church, I encourage you to follow them on social media.

Thank you again for spending time with mE as I wax a bit poetic about the amazing people in a community that I care about. 

#onelove #thevillage2800 #kuumba #nia

Transparency: I am a conversational junkie. There I said it. This is my truth and if you know mE in real life, you know this as well. 

I am always looking for the next conversational fix full of insights. 

Have you ever met a person that was so calm that their peace seemed contagious? 

Have you ever met a person so magnetic that sitting with them felt second nature? 

These types of people are rare. Their presence is more than valuable. What they are able to contribute to any conversation is like pure gold. 

Chris Woodhull is that kind of person. I have known Chris for several years and my first impression of him is just as impactful now as it was back then. He is true. He is real.

I was honored to be able to sit with him and just talk. We met up some weeks ago and that conversation was so perfect. We sat in a dope cafe/sandwich shop (The Spot on Main Street)  and connected through our love of art and people.  

Chris Woodhull sat back on the leather sofa and smiled as I began my fun interrogation. We know each other pretty well. He has always been very supportive of my art.  This link up was familiar and welcomed. It was an easy start to what would be a roar of exchanges that lasted for over 2 hours. 

Chris shared that his obsession growing up was for books and boxing. What an amazing combination. Books are gentle as they activate our minds and boxing is aggressive and it activates our body.

Muhammad Ali. Photo credit: Stanley Weston; archive photos, Getty Images

The author of this very animated and famous quote came from Chris’ favorite boxer. This catchy quote has some complexity wrapped in its color. Move through life with grace and gentleness but be ready to stand and fight back. 

I grew up loving boxing as well. My favorite boxer as a kid was Sugar Ray. He had a wind up out of this world. I watched some interviews of Muhammad Ali and fell under his spell. He was very intelligent and very straightforward. 

We spoke on the power of writing. We recognized the healing quality found in the arts. We spoke about race relations. When these 3 things are mentioned in the same conversation there is an immediate shift in the room. 

James Baldwin, photographer unknown

We spoke ocean levels deep on how art is an important component to change. We danced in conversation with all of the greats as we shared our love for poetry and jazz.  

Then there was James Baldwin. This poet, playwright, and activist showed up in spirit, I felt. 

James Baldwin is truly one of my favorite artistic activists. His words are legacy building. When Chris Woodhull said his name, I could see the respect he had for his work. Chris shared that he got to hear him speak (again another moment when I became silent)  and how that changed his life.

Through technology, we can hear and see some of James Baldwin’s conversations. We talked about the conversation between James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni. This can be found on YOUTUBE. This exchange between these 2 amazing activists is something that I hold in such high poetic reverence. They spoke on the same relevant topics that we face today.  I could see that Chris felt the same as he talked. At one moment he tilted his head to the left and smiled from the inside.  It is his gentle movement between the arts of ode and what is going on today that makes his approach to mentorship so very special. 

This blog is to highlight partners, businesses, and community leaders that work or support the Glass Farm Community.  Chris Woodhull is just that. He began working in the community several years ago. He brought Build Me A World, his non-profit organization that offered mentorship and creative opportunities to the community.

I remember vividly being in some of those sessions. The space was so full of creative expression that I was speechless. When I am rendered into an awesome silence beware it must have been something remarkable. I fell in love with the air in that room. These Creatives …where had they been? Where had I been?  I was forever changed. For those beautiful moments, I am thankful. 

Chris Woodhull is back on Glass Street as co-director of the workforce development group “Build it Green” (BIG).  Build It Green combines mentorship with workforce readiness. 

I recently met some of the mentees/builders. We sat and talked about how this program has helped them. Glass House Collective is excited to have this program in the community. We look forward to highlighting the BIG program more in-depth in the coming weeks. 

Bringing his knowledge, experience, and expertise back to Glass Street ready to work we thank Chris Woodhull for his work past, present & future. 

We heard you! 

We amplify you! 

I encourage everyone to turn on some jazz, grab a James Baldwin book or sit back and watch one of the many videos online about him. 

If you are interested in more information on Chris Woodhull check these links out. 

Creative Mornings: Chris Woodhull

Build Me A World