I want to share a story with you—one that is deeply personal to me.
Three days before Christmas on December 22, 2023, my beloved cousin, Eunice L. Mason, passed away unexpectedly due to a late diagnosis of a common infection that ended up turning into sepsis. We were very close. For as long as I can remember, she was the most kind and loving person in my life. More than an older cousin, she took care of me like a mother-auntie-sister-friend. When the chips were down, she always had my back with love and laughter. She had a magnetic personality(hence the photo below of Muhammad Ali hugging her back back in the day)! Needless to say, when she passed away, I was grief stricken. Memories of my late grandmother, who was also a kind and loving spirit, flooded my current feelings of grief.
What do I do with this grief?
This is a question that I have asked myself over and over again in the year and half since my cousin passed away. A few months ago, the idea came to me to honor her legacy and my grandmother’s by giving to those who may need the kind and loving support they both showered upon me and others throughout their lifetimes.
My cousin and grandmother, Cora D. Jones, were two incredible Black women who shaped my life in extraordinary ways I can never fully express. They were born in Alabama during the Jim Crow era. This was a time when systemic barriers kept them, and most Black people, from pursuing the careers of which they dreamed. “Ma,” as I called her, wanted to be a nurse. But her segregated school in the rural South stopped (unjustly) at the ninth grade. “Cousin Eunice” wanted to be in the media industry and philanthropy. But she often told me that she wasn’t because she had no role models during her youth. Despite these obstacles, they both built beautiful lives filled with love, resilience, and generosity. They nurtured their families. They gave selflessly to their communities. They never stopped encouraging young people to chase the opportunities that they never had.
Today, I’m honored to carry forward their legacy by launching the Mason-Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund—designed to support African-American women pursuing careers in nursing, health sciences, and communications. These are fields that Mason and Jones cherished. I know they would be proud to see the next generation of Black women thriving through this effort.
But I can’t do this alone.
With your 100% tax-deductible donation, we can provide financial support and encouragement to young Black women who are determined to make a difference despite financial hardship and systemic challenges.
Will you join me in making a lasting impact?
Your donation—big or small—will help fund the education of future nurses, journalists, and philanthropic community leaders. I am committed to matching every dollar that is donated in this inaugural year to continue the cycle of giving next year and for many years to come. Together, we can turn dreams into reality.
Click here to give what your heart and your wallet can allow today.
Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. Your generosity to the scholarship fund means more than you know.
