By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer
At a time when many are trying to erase Black culture and history, Kimberly Biggs-Jordan is embracing it.
Biggs-Jordan leads a Legacy Tour to Col. Allensworth State Historic Park on Saturday, June 14, marking the 20th anniversary of her trips to the preserved all-Black town. She has introduced countless youth to the park over the years. The Legacy Tour will be her last trek there.
Biggs-Jordan is most proud of the young adults who once were part of Dream Builders and are now passing their knowledge and experiences to their children.
“One thing that I have come to realize and finally appreciate as I reflect on everything I have done with Dream Builders and even before it was founded, is that I have done a good thing and not just me, but ‘we,’” Jordan said. “We changed a lot of people’s lives.”
Biggs-Jordan appreciates the support she has received from The OBSERVER and Senior Staff Writer Genoa Barrow over the years and lists a 2006 article about her trips as her favorite.
“The OBSERVER has always inspired me,” she said. “I have met some amazing people at the paper. More importantly it is the hub of this community; it keeps me connected to the local Black community and beyond.”
It has been 19 years since Biggs-Jordan’s favorite article was published, and she is still serving the community. In January, she hosted an event that provided warm food and clothing for the local homeless. She did so in honor of her late mother and late North Area pastor Rev. Patricia Roundtree, friends who often gave of themselves and left a legacy of service for others to follow.
Biggs-Jordan is currently focusing on personal growth and dreams of writing a book. She has been featured in locally produced anthologies – “Sweet Peaches: Inspiring Stories of 16 Bold and Courageous Women,” and Barrow’s “Daddy Issues: Black Women Speaking Truth and Healing Wounds.”
“Right now I’m working on Kim and I’m excited about that. I have poured so much into so many, since I was 12 years old. Now it’s my turn to pour into me,” she said. “I want to write a book with my name on the cover. I have so many books inside of me and I’m overdue for this dream to be fulfilled.”
Editor’s Note/QR Code: With Familiar Faces, Senior Staff Writer Genoa Barrow is catching up with community members past and present whom she’s written about. If you’d like to tell us “Where Are You Now?,” click on the link or QR Code.
