Happy Black History Month! This month is dedicated to honoring and celebrating the accomplishments of Black individuals.
This month, NAZ is highlighting local Black individuals who have made great impacts on the North Minneapolis community - and beyond - with their contributions. We wanted to showcase the incredible work and stories behind the folks doing work on the ground to make the Northside the thriving, beautiful place it is.
Black History Month is about recognizing where the Black community has been and inspiring hope and collective action toward a more equitable and just society for future generations. It's a time to honor the past, celebrate the present, and envision a better tomorrow.
Janiya Wright
Janiya Wright is a NAZ scholar and high school senior who is serving her community in the here and now, heading toward a fantastic future. Janiya serves as a classroom support teacher for the after-school program at her school because of her caring spirit and her love for children. She has served for two years as a regular volunteer for Summit Academy’s monthly STEM Saturday events, and she also took on a tech internship with the express goal of using her skills to support her community. On her own time, Janiya is the Captain of her Varsity Basketball team, and last year she was named as #1 Blocker in the state.
Janiya aspires to study medicine and to be a traveling pediatric nurse. She believes that children never forget the health care providers who were there for them in their darkest times, and hopes to one day be a memory for future generations. Congratulations, Janiya, on your incredible ongoing success - we are so proud of who you are and who you are becoming!
Chanda Smith Baker
Chanda Smith Baker’s personal accomplishments stretch across multiple industries. From her exceptional leadership at Pillsbury United Communities, to her enormous success as CEO of Smith Baker, LLC, to her award-winning and popular podcast, Conversations with Chanda, she is making her mark to incredible effect. In one of her most recent roles, Chanda served as Chief Impact Officer at the Minneapolis Foundation, providing strategic direction to community initiatives and partnerships.
In 2020, Chanda co-founded Minnesota’s first Black Community Foundation, The Black Collective. The foundation’s mission is to “build Black philanthropic power to strengthen the ecosystem of Black-led social, political, and economic change in Minnesota and beyond.” Thank you, Chanda, for your incredible and far-reaching service to our community and country!
Shannon Smith Jones
Shannon Smith Jones is the Senior Vice President of Community Impact at the Greater Twin Cities United Way. She came to this role via a lifetime of meaningful work in multiple key roles at organizations such as Hope Community, Urban Homeworks, Sabbathani Community Center, and Pilsbury United Communities. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, where she teaches courses on Neighborhood Revitalization Strategies and Theories.
A passionate volunteer, Shannon serves on the boards and committees of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity, Mapping Prejudice, and others. Countless individuals and families have been positively impacted by Shannon’s passion and tireless efforts. Thank you, Shannon, for your incredible leadership!
Sierra Phillips
Sierra Phillips is a graduate of our very own Ascension School, a NAZ Anchor School, and she is making a splash internationally! Sierra got her high school diploma from DeLaSalle, her Bachelor’s Degree from Tugaloo College, and is now earning her Master’s and Doctorate in history at Ohio State University. Sierra has won numerous academic awards, including a United Negro College Fund fellowship for her research project, “Investigating the Incomplete Story of the Black Freedom Movement in Minnesota: 10,000 Ways in which Black Minnesotans Resisted, Agitated, and Mobilized.”, which brought her to South Africa to find parallels between activism in Minnesota and activism during the South African Black Consciousness Movement.
Most impressive, in 2021 Sierra founded a scholarship program that awards at least two scholarships a year to rising HBCU students from Minneapolis.
Sierra is representative of all the incredible talent that lives inside our Northside scholars, and we salute her!
Thank you, Sierra, for living your life fully so that others may be inspired and follow in your footsteps!
Devean Jamar George
Devean Jamar George remains the pride of the Northside, having never forgotten the Northside mantra of paying it forward. Throughout his tenure in the NBA, Devean showcased his unwavering commitment to making a difference in the lives of children and families. Wherever he resided, Devean actively engaged in initiatives aimed at supporting youth in urban areas.
Since his retirement from the NBA, Devean founded George Group North, a real estate company focused on multifamily residential and mixed-use development, redevelopment, and management, as well as its charitable arm, Building Blocks, which concentrates on mentorship, affordable housing, and sustainable community growth. Both efforts are actively making the Northside a better, more connected place to live. Devean also shows up for the Northside community in a myriad of other roles and projects.
Thank you, Devean, for your big heart and relentless drive to make things better – you are a Northside hero!
Kelly Wright
Kelly Wright, Principal of Nellie Stone Johnson Elementary (NSJ), a NAZ Anchor School, is perhaps one of the most respected school principals in the district, and for good reason. Kelly’s ingenuity, talent and proactive compassion with scholars is legendary. The energy and passion she has brought to NSJ has created a space where both educators and scholars have the opportunity to be their best selves. Her willingness to take risks and try new things is transforming the school experience for not just scholars and teachers, but for NSJ families as well. Thank you, Principal Wright, for your tireless dedication to scholars and parents. You are a role model to both children and adults across the Twin Cities, and we salute you!
Teto Wilson
Teto Wilson, owner of Wilson Image Barbers and Stylists, is a successful business owner who keeps the success of the Northside community at the top of his business strategy. Wilson has leveraged the role of his barbership as a community hub to launch countless community-focused events and efforts.
Teto’s shop doubled as a Covid vaccination clinic when vaccines were first released. He runs a large community health event - Live Your Healthy Lyfe - which offers Northsiders access to a wide variety of services ranging from medical to financial. His service to the community has also led him to launch the Wilson’s Image College Scholarship, which helps fund the first two years of college for Northside scholars. Teto exemplifies the saying, “we all do better when we all do better.” Thank you, Teto, for your relentless focus on the health of our community!
Phyllis Sloan
Born and raised on the Northside, Phyllis Sloan is known and loved by people across the Twin Cities, Since 1997, she has led the Northside’s highly-respected LaCreche Early Childhood Center, where scholars and families are the very fortunate recipients of the enormous intellect, creativity, and dedication that Phyllis contributes.
After high school, Phyllis left the Northside for North Park University in Illinois, where she earned multiple degrees. She later brought her new skills back home, where she has been a leader and source of strength for countless scholars, families, and colleagues for more than thirty years. Thank you, Phyllis, for offering your huge talent and commitment to our children. Your legacy will never truly be measured.
