A YES Center digital project
Chester’s Women Change Makers
Stories of activism and change making as told by women community leaders in Chester, Pennsylvania—part of the YES Center’s digital project on the legacy of Ruth L. Bennett.
Welcome
Celebrate Chester’s Women Change Makers
Welcome to the YES Center’s Chester’s Women Change Makers website! This site features the amazing stories of women whose ongoing activism and efforts to create positive change are transforming Chester city. New stories will be added periodically, so visit us often!
To navigate this site, simply use the menubar to click on an individual’s name to read about, listen, and view her story of extraordinary work in the community.
Be sure to also check out the page “Black Women’s Activism” where we link the good work of our featured change makers to a broader history of black women making things happen in pursuit of social justice.
Chester’s community historian and founding director of the YES Center, Twyla Simpkins, aka Ms. T, is pleased to make available the stories of ten amazing women who work tirelessly to better the quality of life in our city.
Every captured story
The change makers.
Rev. Dr. Lisa Dennis
Lisa Dennis, is the ‘go-to’ person when it comes to finding creative ways to bring out the best of Chester to tackle issues of crime and violence and their consequences for families and communities. As the City’s…
Read the storyPatricia Trippley Demiranda
Patricia Trippley Demiranda is a fighter, committed to finding creative ways to prevent violence involving young people in Chester city. Following the tragic loss of her son, Will, Pat embarked on a journey to channel…
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Dr. Kristin Motley
Chester’s teachers, organizers, community mentors have always sought to influence young people to excel and give back in ways big and small to their community. Chester-born and raised, Dr. Kris Motley, experienced and…
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Cynthia Jetter
On Women’s Activism in Chester & Beyond Born and raised in Chester, Cynthia Jetter has devoted years of time and energy to creating educational opportunities for her fellow residents, young and old. She was one of…
Read the storyCarol Kazeem
Chester resident Carol Kazeem is a tireless activist, child advocate and currently State Representative for Pennsylvania’s 159th district. Carol’s determination and commitment to improving the prospects for success for…
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Barbara Muhammad
Many Chester residents recall the city’s dire situation in the 1980s and 1990s. Employment opportunities dried up as major industries closed, the drug economy and street crime took hold, and a cash-strapped city…
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Rev. Hilda Campbell
The Reverend Hilda Campbell is a trailblazer, by any measure. Her resume reads as a remarkable list of accomplishments. In the world of work, Hilda stands out as a leader among women taking on occupations once deemed…
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Judge Nusrat J. Love
Judge Nusrat J. Love was elected as a judge of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas in November 2019 and sworn in on January 3, 2020 to a ten-year term. In Chester City, in Delaware County, and across Pennsylvania,…
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Sister Tara Watts
Sister Tara Watts’ many roles — a woman of faith, a mother and wife, and a licensed clinical social worker, to name a few — collectively shape her approach to making positive changes in Chester city. Her holistic…
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Zulene Mayfield
Chester’s Zulene Mayfield fondly recalls a quiet life three-plus decades ago, as a new homeowner on the city’s west end, a short driving distance from family members. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary — until word…
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Tiffney Laing
Tiffney Laing, combines creativity, entrepreneurism, and a commitment to social justice to produce socially relevant educational toys for children. Tiffney is the founder of Bevy and Dave, her award-winning educational…
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Kearni N. Warren
Kearni Warren knows social activism is a vocation that demands complete dedication, steadfast discipline and just plain hard work. Kearni is quick to attribute how she came to know this as a young girl, assisting her…
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Nicole Cogdell
Nicole Cogdell’s passion for social justice motivates her to advocate on behalf of women and children in Chester and beyond. In addition to her many local initiatives, Nicole spearheaded national efforts against labor…
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Tonya Burns-Johnson
Tonya Burns-Johnson “This book was written to uplift and inspire single parents, young mothers, and any other caregivers who have ever struggled with truly believing that they can raise successful children even with…
Read the storyTasliym Morales
Chester’s Tasliym Morales traces the beginnings of her journey as an advocate for education to her middle-school years in Virginia, when she took notice of the rampant practice of student ‘tracking.’ Tracking involves…
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Donna Carson-Williams
Donna Carson-Williams (aka Donna Janel) is a lifelong Chester resident dedicated to advancing her hometown through a focus on parenting and family. Donna is the Founder and CEO of Donna Janel, Parenting with A Purpose…
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Donye Price
Donye Price is Chester city’s first Black female firefighter. But that achievement is one among many of her ongoing accomplishments as a community builder and advocate. From the very start, Donye saw her role as a…
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Tommie Lee Jones
Tommie Lee Jones was a compassionate, committed, and driven leader for Chester city. She founded the Black Youth Society later known as Youth in Action. This program, that Jones dedicated so much of her time and effort…
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Coming Soon…
Check back soon for more amazing stories from our growing list of Chester Women Change Makers Donye’ Duncan, Chester’s first African American female firefighter Ms. Sarah Finley Joyce E. Brown (deceased), Charter Member…
Read the storyProject context
About the project.
About this Project
This site features the stories of activism and change making as told by women community leaders in Chester, Pennsylvania. The stories are part of the YES Center’s digital project on the legacy of Chester’s own Ruth L.…
Women’s History Month 2022
The YES Center/Heritage Place is pleased to present Celebrating Chester’s Women Change Makers — a digital display of the stories of contemporary women who are making a difference. Armed with the simple prompt “Tell us…
What Makes Black Women’s Activism Unique? Professor Khadijah Miller
We asked Professor Khadijah O. Miller of Norfolk State University to speak about how activism and change making among women in Chester and elsewhere connects back to the past. Khadijah has written on black women’s…
Portrait gallery
The captured gallery page of the featured change makers.
Have a story to share? Use the YES Center contact form.