These Women are Dope. Feat. JoJo
Welcome to the final feature of the “These Women are Dope” series! I hope you’ve had fun and feel moved!
On this post, we are honoring JoJo! Where do I even start…. Hmmm maybe with how JoJo and I used to plan our outfits accordingly in high school so that we could take cute pictures with our digital cameras. HA.
No, but really…JoJo did a really brave thing shortly after we graduated from undergrad. She declined a job offer to teach in Lexington, KY and opted to move across the world to teach instead. That’s what makes her dope in my eyes. That’s something people talk about doing and dream of doing.. But JoJo… she did it. While she was gone, we didn’t talk a ton but we were always connected spiritually.
Like many others in this series, knowing JoJo is a gift.
Let’s hear from her!
JoJo Hall
Hometown: Lexington, Ky - but Atlanta feels more like home everyday.
Occupation: Yoga teacher
My first job was abroad as a teacher in Shanghai, China. I lived there for a few years before moving to Istanbul, Turkey teaching in international schools. I travelled to over twenty countries in that time feeding my passion for learning about people and culture. I’m currently in Atlanta where I’ve been for a few years and I love it here. I spend most of my time practicing yoga and building my new business!
What is your why?
My grandparents! (I talk about them to anyone who will listen.) They gave me everything they had and still do in wisdom and support. My granny is the reason I had the courage to live and travel all over the world. When most people thought I was crazy, she thought I was brave. I can hear her now saying, “Go, baby!”
What brings you joy?
Pink brings me joy. Is that cheesy? In my college dorm my appliances were pink. In my full grown, adult apartment, my recliner is pink. When I buy a house I’m painting the front door pink.
There was a year of my life when I tried to silence the pink in me for the sake of being an adult. I had a new job in Atlanta and I wanted to “look the part.” I thought I needed to fit in so I felt a little embarrassed by my pink office supplies, pink clothes everyday, etc. Long story short, it wasn’t a great year at all. And who knows why, but the moral of the story is just be yourself. Being myself brings me joy. I plan to be pretty in pink until I'm 101 years old.
What has been your favorite project so far?
My favorite project so far is definitely preppylocs.com! I started the instagram account @preppylocs mid-pandemic when it felt like the walls were closing in on me. I used yoga as a way to calm and soothe myself and it’s truly been amazing! Through social media I have found so many like minded individuals doing the same thing. Turning inward to study themselves, freeing from the mold of what someone else or society wants you to be. I hope I can inspire someone else to start living their dream.
You can cut your hair, quit your job, move, etc. we are not trees. You don’t need permission to do or be you.
What is your motto or personal mantra?
“What’s meant to be will always find a way” was painted on the wall in my room in high school and I’ve probably said it in my head daily since then. What's yours is already yours, if that makes sense. There’s no need to cling to anything. Sometimes unanswered prayers are a beautiful thing.
”There’s enough light for all of us to shine and grow. Support each other! Support women. Support Black women. The women who don’t look like you, think like you, dress like you, talk like you, etc. It takes all of us to make the world go round.”
An entire message.
Thank you, JoJo! #youbelonghere
This is the final feature of my “These Women are Dope” series. These women are dope because they inspire others….they inspire the hell out of me. And their stories and their voices are worthy of homage.
AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE TELL OUR STORY. Our story is our power…..When we tell it… and WHEN WE STAND TOGETHER, we are unstoppable.
WE ARE WOMEN’S HISTORY.
WE BELONG HERE.
