Meet Joi Brown: Executive Director, Advocate, and Storyteller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joi Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joi, why did you pursue a creative career?
As early as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be an artist. Creativity has always been a part of me at my core in everything I do – whether it be in the way I dress, decorate my home, or prepare a meal. If I don’t have a creative outlet, I don’t feel like myself. It was inevitable that I would pursue a career in a creative field. How that pursuit would manifest I wasn’t exactly sure of, but I knew it was my calling. As an undergrad in college, I double-majored in art and sociology – an odd combination that would actually prove to be useful at a later point in my career. After graduating college, I worked as a graphic artist for almost ten years while studying for my MFA in media design. During those ten years, I had the opportunity to work in the creative departments in the higher education, interior design, retail, restaurant, and tech industries. I also had the had the opportunity to work for myself as a freelancer, which eventually led me to non-profit. I began working as the marketing manager for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a museum and cultural institution that details and educates the public about key events of the Civil Rights Movement that occurred in Birmingham. Non-profit work calls for you to step outside your usual job description, typical forty hours a week, and get deeply involved at a community level. It was during my time with the Institute, that I knew that I wanted to use my creativity for something bigger and more intentional.

What should our readers know about your business?
I now lead the Jefferson County Memorial Project (JCMP), a grassroots coalition memorializing victims of racial terror lynchings in Jefferson County, Alabama and expanding our county’s understanding of past and present racial injustice. Heavy, right? That is the same thing I thought when I first began doing this work. I often still ask myself, “How did the quiet, introverted, art kid end up here?” I always tell people, I didn’t choose this work – it chose me. JCMP formed in response to the Equal Justice Initiative’s call-to-action shortly after they opened the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in April 2018. At the Memorial, there are pillars representing counties across the U.S. with documented lynching victims. Their call-to-action is for those counties to reckon with this difficult history through involvement with their Community Remembrance Project, which includes retrieving your county’s duplicate pillar and erecting it within the county. It also involves heavy community education about this history and advocacy around where these issues are still affecting out communities.

For me the call-to-action was bigger. When I first visited the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, I found my 2nd great grandfather’s name, Mack Brown, on one of the pillars. I found out he was lynched in 1892, about 20 minutes north of where I live today. This was a life-changing moment for me – an almost transcendental wake up call. This was not a story myself, nor my family knew about. From that point, I began to connect with other Jefferson County residents, sharing stories and finding commonalities. It was from those conversations that we formed JCMP.

At the time of becoming a founding coalition member, I was still working as marketing manager for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Eventually, our founding director made the decision to step down to pursue her masters degree and I stepped in the role at the height of the pandemic in September of 2020.

Though I never imagined myself doing this type of work, I’d been surrounded and influenced by this history my entire life. I was born and raised in Chicago in a multigenerational household. My father, who is almost 50 years my senior, left Birmingham at the height of civil unrest in 1963 moving to Chicago for better work opportunities. I grew up hearing him telling me stories of the Klu Klux Klan riding through his neighborhood as a child and “Bombingham.” My grandparents on my mother’s side lived with us and I spent much time with them as a child. They were from Prentiss, Mississippi and migrated to Chicago during the Great Migration in the 1940s through my grandfather’s work as a Pullman Porter on the railroad. Though I didn’t grow up in the South, my roots ran deep and my family was sure not to let me forget that. I never thought of my family stories as history because it wasn’t the history I learned in school. I now take great pride in that history and have made it my personal mission to help others learn about their own family history.

Whereas I used to use my creativity to create art, I now use it help create a vision for a more empowered future for my community. The biggest lesson I’ve learned in my career thus far is to trust the process.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, I like to eat and Birmingham is a great food city – so we’re eating! We’d start with brunch at Michael’s Restaurant, which sits atop the Negro Southern League Museum, has amazing food and one of the best views of downtown Birmingham. There’s also Yo Mama’s, which has the best chicken and waffles in Birmingham. For lunch and dinner, we could do a full food truck tour. Some of my favorites include Simone’s Kitchen ATL (seafood grilled cheese…need I say more?), Encore Rouge, and K & J’s Elegant Pastries, which also has a brick and mortar store that has milkshakes that will leave you speechless. When we’re not eating, we’d definitely be sightseeing some of the city’s most historic sites including the 16th Street Baptist Church, the 4th Avenue Black Business District, A.G. Gaston Motel, and more. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to dedicate my shoutout to my village – family, friends, and mentors who continue to help me along this journey. I’ll always give all the flowers to my parents while they’re here. I’ve been fortunate to not only have them as a strong support system my entire life, but also my greatest teachers.

My sister circle – my close-knit circle of friends that do everything from act as hype women to doubling as accountability partners and happy hour partners. Get you some that can do both.

My mentors – those known and unknown. Living in Birmingham has provided me with the chance to stand on the shoulders of many giants. I’ll forever be grateful to those who’ve open doors and continue to bring me to the table with them. There are a lot of changemakers doing amazing, selfless work in Birmingham. We may not know one another personally, but I see you and it inspires me to continue on my path.

Website: www.jeffersoncountymemorial.com

Instagram: @itsjustjoi_

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joi-brown

Twitter: @itsjustjoi_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffersoncountymemorialproject

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKilEonl2IszGawWxPwXv_w/

Image Credits
Jefferson County Memorial Project Birmingham Civil Rights Institute