Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline L. Shaw.
Hi Jacqueline, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My goal is to promote ideas and values within our communities through grassroots organization and education. The following are activities that have been important to me:
I volunteer with the North Texas Food Bank.
Concerned Citizens and African American Parents (CCAAP), Women of Flower Mound Club, Flower Mound Women’s Business League, Denton County Democratic Party – Precinct Chair, Democratic Women of Denton County, and Denton
County Texas Association of Black Democrats, Black Women Community Power (BWCP), Denton County – Nonpartisan – Voter Registration, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Nonpartisan. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Celebration Committee, Westside Baptist Church Social Justice Ministry Lead – Nonpartisan.
At Westside Baptist Church (WBC), located in Lewisville, Texas, where our mission is to serve God, share Christ, and love people.
I served in the greeter’s ministry and am the former Social Justice Ministry Lead. As such, I strived to create systemic change within the greater Lewisville community in areas of education, policing, racial equity, and voting.
Also, to educate the members of Westside and engage them to participate in the civic process.
By developing a civic engagement program, it allowed the Westside congregation to become a voice of influence that reaches beyond the church and creates substantial and lasting change on the municipal, county, state, and national levels.
In accordance with the goals of social justice ministry, I hosted voter registrar training at WBC. Within an hour, approximately 34 people became Voter Deputy Registrars under the tutelage of Paula Paschal, Training Coordinator at the Denton County.
Elections Administration.
After the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, who lost their lives due to injustice, I initiated the “Call To Action” program to invite the public to join us in a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Flower Mound, Tx. It was well received. People came out from all over Denton County. Churches in the Lewisville and Flower Mound communities participated. Brown, Black, and White families stood together holding signs, despite the 100-degree temperature during a pandemic.
At that point, people were hurt, scared, frustrated, and tired. People were very concerned and asked what can I do to help. My response: “If we are to bring both justice and peace to America, we must restore all Americans power to make real change at the ballot box. By voting you can take your protests to the polls. Let your voice be heard by voting for a change. Vote for leaders who will listen to our concerns and who care about the safety and lives of our Black and brown communities.”
I had just become a bestselling author. I had an aggressive schedule that included book signings, speaking engagements, etc.
With this heaviness on my heart. I asked God to provide me guidance during this trying time. God said, get my people to the polls.
I made it my mission to organize teams of volunteer deputy voter registers. We set up voter registration drives all over Denton County every Saturday from July 11, 2020, through October 3, 2020. I was determined to make sure everyone that wanted to cast their vote was given the opportunity. I organized volunteers to help with phone banking, postcard writing, texting, literature drops, poll greeting, etc. I worked the 2020 Primary, Runoff Elections, and General Election. Black Women Community Power (BWCP) consist of 6 African American Women that wanted to do more to make the “Blue Wave” a reality. We developed “TAKE YOUR PROTEST TO THE POLLS.” A voter registration door-hanger campaign! The core team consisted of Community Leader Jocelyn McMurray (who bought us all together), Chrystal Bates (who developed the awesome poster), Jo Douglas (challenging the team to think bigger), Carolyn Wright (developed our apartment lists), Barbara Rucker (getting youth and County groups involved), and me, (organizing the volunteers with the help of Jennifer Lane). Working with the Texas Democratic Party, DCDP, and BWCP, we had door hangers that had detachable registration cards that we delivered “contact free.” We had over 100 volunteers signed up. In 3 weeks, we delivered over 40,000 voter registration cards to apartments in The Colony, Frisco, Carrollton, Dallas, Lewisville, Corinth, and Denton also, all “contact-free.” I am sure we made a difference.
I worked with Democratic primary elections administrators to secure African American polling workers at polling locations all around Denton County. For the 2020 Presidential Election, early voting, and Election Day, we estimated having 2,000 polling workers, approximately 900 were Democrats, and of those, 375 were African American. I was told that was the highest number of African Americans to work the election polls in Denton County history. Thank you to everyone who answered the call. I am so proud!
I encouraged voter participation in early voting. To be sure their vote was an informed one, I encouraged voters to learn about the candidates and their stances on various issues before Election Day and educate voters about elections and their voting rights. I brought awareness to the public on election reform, advocates for election reform at all levels, and engaged in other voter education programs and communications.
* Community Service Led the efforts to provide essential household baskets for families.
*After learning that some children may not be attending school because they didn’t have clean clothes or they attend with obvious hygiene needs, WBC’s Social Justice partnered with Concerned Citizens and African American Parents (CCAAP.).
* Families are struggling due to the loss of jobs and loved ones. There is a need for household essentials and hygiene products.
* The initial request was to help one school (Lewisville Elementary). However, after great success, other schools requested similar support. In the end, we provided support to 7 schools and over 500 families.
Back-To-School Fair at Westside Baptist Church, July 2022
Champion-Macedonia Cemetery Cleanup & Revitalization, January 19, 2022
Fox-Hembry Cemetery Cleanup & Revitalization, March 19, 2022
Mayor’s Commission Lewisville Achievement Fair, February 20, 2022
Juneteenth Celebration, 2022
Involved with the Boys & Girls club project for a Denton County site in Lewisville,
Be The Match Advocate, 2022
Awards
May 2021, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Denton County Alumni Chapter: Take Action, Make A Difference Award
May 2021, Flower Mound Citizens Police Academy
March 2022, Flower Mound Citizens Academy
May 6, 2022, Denton County proclamation, Childcare Providers Appreciation Day
June 2022, NAFCC National Association for Family Childcare Service Leadership Commitment and Heart
December 2022, Ms. Karen’s Community Closet Non-Profit Organization, Community Leader Award
January 2023, Spirit of Lewisville Award
As a Community Advocate, Jacqueline serves as a community connector, bridging people and organizations with those in need.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
After a horrible divorce, I thought my world was coming to an end. I was crying all the time and wasn’t eating nor sleeping well. It was very challenging yet; I knew I had to stay strong for my daughters.
I went through Divorce Care four times. It took me nearly five years to be ok to feel normal again. In the process, I hated my ex-husband so much that it was starting to take a toll on my health.
I ask God to release me from this hatred that I had for my ex.
In 2015, I almost lost my middle daughter. We had no idea how gravely ill she was until we learned that her hemoglobin was barely over 3 (Normal 11 – 15). As it turned out, she has Aplastic Anemia and needed a blood marrow (stem cell) transplant. The thought of almost losing my baby, nothing else in the world mattered to me. My prayer to God was if he would just let my baby be ok. I promised I would forgive my ex, sit down and break bread with him. I would even bake the bread and give him the last piece. God please just let my baby be ok. At that moment, a peace came over me.
My family and I were blessed as my oldest daughter turned out to be a 100% match.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Shaw Child Care?
With a loving spirit, Jacqueline has operated Shaw Child Care, a registered home daycare, for the past 30 years, where she has nurtured hundreds of young minds and sent them on to elementary. School with a solid foundation for the future. As a registered provider, Jacqueline not only cared about the children in her home but all the children cared for in-home daycare environments. As such, she founded the Flower Mound Child Care Professional Association and is a member of several other Child Care professional associations, such as the Arlington DFW Child Care Professional Association. Lewisville Area
Family Child Care Association, Texas Registered and Licensed Childcare Providers, North Texas Home Daycare, and Christian Daycare Providers. The mission of all the above groups is to promote licensed, safe, and loving environments for preschool children in Denton County.
Jacqueline is excited and honored to be the elected Texas State Representative for National Association of Family Child Care (NAFCC). Family childcare education is at the forefront of “Building. Back Better” the entire Child Care system.
She is excited to volunteer her time, expertise, and voice in moving family childcare forward. She will listen to the needs and concerns of family childcare providers in the state of Texas and advocate on their behalf to serve the field’s needs better.
By stepping into this role, she will function as an ambassador for NAFCC and other providers like myself. NAFCC State Reps will link arms with family childcare providers, advocates, and stakeholders across the nation. We’ll work together for family childcare and building an equitable early childhood education system that reaches every child in this country.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
God gives me an assignment, and he puts people in my path to complete the it. By the People for the People.
Contact Info:
- Website: Jacquelinelshaw.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackie.shaw.22/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackie.shaw.5492
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-l-shaw-730477130/
