My name is Shannon Jefferson.  I am a 34 year old wife and mother of 5. I currently serve as Vice President of the Board of Directors for  We All Rise African American Resource Center. I joined the team to further my involvement in the betterment of my community.  I am very passionate about healing generational trauma through education, resources and encouragement.

  I graduated from the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Early Childhood Program in May 2019.  I have been employed with Green Bay Public Schools through the Head Start Program for over 5 years and have served on the Head Start Policy Council executive board, in various capacities, for 4 years.  During my education and employment I noticed a lack of representation, validation, and respect for black children and black culture in general. I noticed that many black parents weren’t involved with their children’s education on an extracurricular level, and with what I had to go through as an involved black mother, I didn’t blame them. No one wants to be in a place where they don’t feel welcome.  Their presence was so important to empower their young ones to standup to the negative bombardment they are faced with in the school system. But that empowerment can only come from those who feel empowered themselves. When adults heal past trauma within themselves, that power has nowhere to go but to the next generation.

I am currently apart of the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Therapeutic Massage Program, and plan on furthering my education into prenatal massage, infant massage and Doula support. By furthering my education, I plan to manifest a culture of healing, communication, and connectedness for the most vulnerable ones in our community.  Mothers and children. Our fathers play a pinnacle role as well, by being that strong hold which protects the legacy of wellness in the family unit. They too have the need for growth and support.

Healing doesn’t come easily and for most of us, it doesn’t come naturally.  Certain self-destructive behaviors in response to past trauma must be unlearned.  Black families have needed a space where their vulnerability is validated and nourished for far too long.  I am honored to be a part of the We All Rise movement. I am proud to be a part of such a triumphant moment in the history of our people.  I am now a greater asset to the community and the catalyst to ending generational trauma forever.