Today we’d like to introduce you to Jarred Howard
Hi Jarred, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story started in the mid-19th Century as the post-emancipation pioneers of my family chose Fort Worth as home. I am the great-great grandson of Amanda Davis, the first Black property owner in the Stop Six neighborhood in Fort Worth. I’ve held fast to that lineage since birth, and it represents the origin of my perspective of and regard for Fort Worth.
I received my bachelor’s degree at the University of North Texas. It was, generally, an incredible experience and I met people who have become lifelong friends. But it was there that I discovered that my perspective of Fort Worth’s greatness wasn’t a common one, and that most people, particularly Black people, didn’t think particularly highly of the city.
That indignation was catalytic to my effort to make Fort Worth better. That zeal, combined with some pretty broad and significant exposure in the corporate space, provided the backdrop and infrastructure that I needed to actually activate some of my passion and ultimately, helped position me to be the change I hoped to see. The effort continues.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wish. The challenges have run the gamut, from overcoming (rightful) community cynicism to securing funding, we’ve seen it all. That said, our collective heads are bloodied, but unbowed. We’ll get it done!
As you know, we’re big fans of National Juneteenth Museum. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Juneteenth (June 19, 1865) is a pivotal moment in American history that changed the course of African Americans and had a monumental impact on the economic and social future of our country.
As an epicenter for awareness and preservation of Juneteenth history, the National Juneteenth Museum represents the natural progression of the continuum that was established to ensure the American tapestry includes the significance of that fateful day in 1865.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
That I reflect light much better than I emit it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nationaljuneteenthmuseum.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juneteenthmsm/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juneteenthmuseum/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/juneteenthmsm?lang=en
