In video series, Arkansan noted as woman who 'rocks'

Janee' Tisby rocks.

It's common knowledge in Phillips County.

Now, the rest of the world will know.

Tisby, director of Together for Hope Arkansas in Helena-West Helena, is being featured in the Black Girls Rock video campaign, an online video series in partnership with BET Networks and Altice USA.

"Ms. Tisby was chosen because of her commitment to bettering her community through Together for Hope," according to a joint news release.

The video series recognizes "outstanding women in our communities and the organizations they work with," according to the website alticeconnects.com/programs/black-girls-rock-campaign.

The video shorts recently began to air across the Suddenlink by Altice USA footprint, and a $5,000 donation has been made to Together for Hope Arkansas in Tisby's honor, according to a news release.

Black Girls Rock is "a movement dedicated to elevating the stories of women who are making a positive impact locally and globally," said Beverly Bond, its founder and CEO.

Bond said she hopes the campaign will encourage others "to become active change agents in their respective communities."

Together for Hope is a national program of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a "Christian network comprised of individuals and churches that work together to spread the hope of Christ," according to cbf.net/together-for-hope.

What began as a "rural poverty initiative" has evolved into a "rural development coalition," according to the website.

"Together for Hope was formed in 2001 as a 20-year commitment to the 20 poorest counties in the United States," it reads. "Currently, Together for Hope has 18 partners across the rural landscape of the U.S. From Arizona to Appalachia and from the Dakotas to the Delta, we have worked alongside communities in the areas of education, health and nutrition, housing and environment, and social enterprise."

In Helena-West Helena, Together for Hope Arkansas focuses on literacy, youth leadership and opportunity, Tisby says in the two-minute video.

"The more kids read, the more they learn, the more they excel at other subjects," she says in the video. "And we want to make sure we're building up their leadership so they can think about who they want to be once they get out of high school, from college and beyond.

"And so I feel like literacy allows kids to have greater dreams, deeper dreams, that sense of experiencing in a deeper way, and that ultimately is what's going to inspire them to work harder at school, to do better at school."

A one-minute version and a 30-second version of the video are also being placed on social media sites.

Tisby is one of three women featured in the current campaign. The others are Carolyn Wallace, co-founder of the International Youth Organization in Newark, N.J., and Shanell Knight, founder of Michael's Angels Girls Club in Tarboro, N.C.

Many Delta cities have high poverty and illiteracy rates, according to togetherforhopear.org. Helena-West Helena is no exception.

"We work to instill in children and teens the truth of the Gospel; the knowledge of their value; and the imperative of leadership, education and service, knowing that the future of our community is in their hands," according to the website.

Tisby said about 350 kids participate in Together for Hope Arkansas' summer program. They range in age from 3 to 15.

Swim Camp accounts for about 250 of those kids, ages 6 to 12.

While some learn to swim at the camp, others learn leadership qualities that they can further hone in Camp Go, which is for teens ages 13-15.

"If you want to be a leader, you need to serve as a role model for others," Tisby said.

During the summer, kids attend for a week, and the days are full of activities, she said.

"One of our kids described it as vacation Bible school on steroids," Tisby said.

Some kids attend Camp Go year-round, she said.

Originally from Grandview, Mo., Tisby graduated from Stephens College in 2006.

She spent the next three years teaching fifth grade in Indianola, Miss., through Teach for America before going to work for that nonprofit organization.

"I fell in love with the area," she said of the Delta.

Tisby started working for Together for Hope Arkansas in 2016.

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc., is "the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience," according to the news release.

State Desk on 03/05/2019

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