BK Nation Welcomes Ms. Jackie Jordan
Greetings BK Nation and Happy New Year! I hope your holiday was filled with peace and happiness. As I pen this newsletter, I can’t help but think about God’s goodness and how he protected us throughout 2024. I’m excited about what he is going to do in our lives in 2025.
Speaking of 2025, I created a 2025 Calendar which was emailed to you in a previous email. If you haven’t received it, Click here to access it….Enjoy!
MLK DAY
On 20 January 2025, the country will be celebrating a great American-Martin Luther King Jr., which coincides with the inauguration of President-Elect Donald J. Trump. This year’s theme is “Excellence in Action” which commemorates the 60 th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March on March 7, 1965. Dr. King led approximately 600 demonstrators to protest voter suppression in that area, but the march ended at Edmund Pettus Bridge when they were attacked by law enforcement. As we approach MLK Day, I hope you and your family will consider volunteering for community service in your city or doing some other act of random kindness in your neighborhoods. We all have a responsibility to help keep Dr. King’s dream alive.
BK Nation Welcomes Another Esteemed Author
I am delighted to welcome Ms. Jackie Jordan to BK Nation. She is a staunch advocate and recognized expert in self-esteem issues many young girls face today. This prompted her to write her spectacular book which we will talk about shortly. We are truly blessed and honored to have her start our year off right.
KLR: Happy New Year Jackie, and welcome to BK Nation. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us. So, before we get into the meat of the interview, tell us some little-known facts not many people know about you?
JJ: Well, I’m a Native New Yorker from the Boogie Down Bronx and lived there through high school. But I left after high school to move to North Carolina to attend college in Durham, at an HBCU, North Carolina Central University. I completed my Master’s degree at Bowie State University majoring in Counseling Psychology.
KLR: Now that you are officially a Tar Heel, what was it like being raised in North Carolina? What were your favorite hobbies, heroes/heroines and TV shows growing up as a child?
JJ: Well as previously stated, I am a New Yorker but spent summers in North Carolina visiting grandparents and other relatives. I wound up going to college in North Carolina which I thoroughly enjoyed. I pledged Delta Sigma Theta at NCCU and majored in Sociology and Psychology. As a child, I was captivated by watching television shows back in the day as well as movies. My favorite movie genre as a child was thriller monster movies like King Kong, Godzilla, Mothra, etc. I tried my hand at writing some poetry and painting as a child and adolescent. Back in those days when I was a child, television was just becoming popular and started out in black and white. I watched the children’s shows like Howdy Doody, The Mickey Mouse Club, Dennis the Menace and Leave it to Beaver. These were back in the 1950’s.
KLR: Tell us about Jackie Jordan the professional. What is your current occupation and what do you enjoy most about your job?
JJ: I established a career in counseling as early as in college and have been in the profession since that time. I worked as a counselor in Maryland when I lived there and I held several positions here in Florida related to counseling and program management. Although I am retired from full-time employment, I work in a private practice setting with several agencies. I enjoy talking to and being able to help individuals with their problems, issues and traumas. It is rewarding to see the growth in individuals after working through their issues.
KLR: Soooo, let’s talk about Jackie Jordan the writer. What or who inspired you to become an author?
JJ: Actually, I never considered writing or being an author until prior to COVID, I recognized that there was a need for parents to have a tool that could be helpful in providing help and support for their young girls. I worked with children as a therapist and noted that many adolescents and teens had self-esteem issues or lacked friends or positive social groups. I asked God how I could reach more than the small community of counseling individuals that I worked with to reach more parents. I also recognized that in order to truly make a difference, I wanted to address a younger child and my passion was working with girls. So, I developed the idea of writing a book, Milani and Friends, that targeted very young children, ages four to eight years old to begin to address some areas of self-esteem, positive friendships and inclusion in an age appropriate manner. So Milani and Friends was born and published in 2020.
KLR: What would you say is your greatest strength as an author?
JJ: I believe that my greatest strength as an author is the love of telling a story from beginning to fleshing out to middle to the end. Seeing it all come together is very rewarding.
KLR: I had the pleasure of purchasing and reading your book, “Milani and Friends.” I can certainly relate to the characters. What advice would you give parents and teachers in helping children cope with self-esteem issues in elementary schools today?
JJ: Today’s children face a lot of struggles and negative influences in maintaining a positive sense of self-worth and feeling included. It is no different today than it was back years ago, however, the modes and mediums are more sophisticated today. I would encourage parents to talk to their children and keep them encouraged and engaged, filling them with positive affirmations and lots of love and understanding. Being one’s child’s advocate is so important these days by telling them how great and special they are and that they can be all that they can be. Also spending time with their children and being a part of their educational and recreational activities is important, sharing experiences with other parents and their children can also be very, very rewarding.
KLR: What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are thinking about writing their first children’s book?
JJ: I would suggest that they first determine what they want to highlight in their story, what is the story that they want to tell. Also, what is the age group that the authors are focusing on. Mine was preschool and elementary children, particularly girls. Then, sit down and jot down their ideas and thoughts on what they want to share.
KLR: Do you have any plans writing another book and if so, when can BK Nation expect to see it in bookstores or on Amazon?
JJ: I had been asked to do another book with the focus on young boys as my grandson wanted a book written for him. Milani and Friends was written with my granddaughter in mind. I am not sure at this point but stay tuned!
KLR: Where can BK Nation purchase your book and/or find out more about you?
JJ: BK Nation can purchase Milani and Friends through Amazon. The subscribers can reach out to me from emailing me at authorjackiejordan@gmail.com.
KLR: Any final words you would like to share with BK Nation?
JJ: For those of you who are thinking about writing your first children’s book I would say go for it. I started developing and writing Milani and Friends when I was 68 years old. You are never too old. Go for it!
KLR: Jackie, it’s been a pleasure having you as our guest today. On behalf of BK Nation, you will be receiving a signed copy of my book, A Time for Courage and a coffee mug as a token of our appreciation. May God continue to bless you and your family with much success in 2025.
JJ: Thank you so much and thank you for having me.
PARTING THOUGHTS
It’s hard to believe 2025 is upon us, but with a new year, comes new opportunities. My goal is to read more books and I hope you will join me in this endeavor, and of course, lets encourage the young people to read too. That said, I’d like to know what books you’re reading and if you email me your name and the book you’re reading, I would like to include it in future newsletters, with your permission of course. As I always say, when you purchase a book, give the author an early Christmas present by posting an honest review on the appropriate website. Until then, continue enjoying the new year.