Today we’d like to introduce you to Rasheedah Jones. She and her team shared her story with us below:
Rasheedah M. Jones, B.S, M.Ed., M.S., started her real estate career in 2005. Rasheedah’s real estate career includes brokerage, commercial, contracting, rehabilitation, mortgage, instruction, and consulting. An affinity for producing more change agents in communities of color, Rasheedah hosts a scholarship and mentorship program for students ages 16-24 interested in the real estate industry. Since its inception, the program has produced several licensed real estate professionals and encouraged more interest in the real estate industry. As a real estate investor, Rasheedah focuses on creating opportunities for home ownership in some of Memphis’ most underserved, under-resourced communities of color. With a sincere interest in creating safe, sustainable, and affordable housing models, Rasheedah works closely with grassroots organizations and community leaders to build strategy around capacity building and access. Of her many achievements, her title of “Mom” means the most. Mom to Jade, Travis, and William provides the greatest reward and motivation.
I come from a family of entrepreneurs and artists. Both of my parents were artistically inclined, and I spent many of my juvenile years in arts and culture programs such as dance, theatre, band, and other visual art programs. A humble upbringing in subsidized housing taught me early in life that if I could curate my success and financial stability, I would be a business owner like my parents. My older sister and I worked in the family business as a requirement. We learned early skills in money management, organization, and ethics. We also learned compassion for people. My mother had a thriving healthcare business and she taught us to always have compassion for others at every stage of life. My compassion for people, my connection to the community, my value for family, and my abstract and artistic ideas of how we can champion greater humanity is who I am.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My focus area is housing justice. This work always offers challenges in the city of Memphis. While I watched my parents transition from poverty to affluence, my parents never owned their home. Thinking a lease purchase option was moving them into homeownership, it was a lack of knowledge and information that dismissed their ability to create generational wealth for our family. I work with and serve many organizations that promote home ownership as a wealth-building strategy and a fundamental right.
Currently, I work as a community engagement facilitator championing community voice in conversations that will determine where investments will land in communities of color in Memphis. I am the founder and creator of the Black Developers Housing Summit which will bring forward solutions to engage community developers in the strategy to build capacity and create more ownership opportunities for communities of color. I work closely with municipalities to help them understand the needs of underserved communities and offer solutions.
In the past three years, I have walked in my purpose and made substantial progress in the area of housing justice. In 2020, I lost my father. I centered myself in wanting to define my purpose and what my legacy would be. I begin to recognize my own power. In reflection, I have assisted many black families in attaining the dream of home ownership when the statistics say this is a near-impossible task.
I have continued to represent voiceless communities through advocacy and on-the-ground support. I have educated and trained and mentored black real estate professionals to be successful champions of minority homeownership.
The pandemic has been a challenge for communities of color. Memphis is #1 for evictions in this country. I continue to serve as a leader in my community in bringing forward issues that impact black families and offering solutions that support safe & sustainable housing models.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Two values that motivate and center my leadership are integrity and courage. Having served as the treasurer for a national organization, I am often at a crossroads of accepting the “business as usual” mindset of seasoned leaders and my own quest for progress and improvement as a hallmark of my leadership.
While integrity is never a value I will compromise, I often question if my courage to bring forward tougher concerns matches my standard of integrity. I take every lesson as an opportunity to learn and grow. Often guided by my peers and mentors, I acknowledge that lived experience and value. Talking to those who have served longer and before me has proved useful in bridging the gap in leadership. As critical as I am of my own ability to lead with knowledge and integrity, I also recognize that grace is an option. Further recognizing that progress is a process.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @DreamTeam901
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/rasheedah901
