THRIVING Melanin Family Magazine September 2018 | Page 6

McGhee Collective's
Melanin Family Initiative
“The answer to our problems and persecution lie within
our families. It’s time to heal, transform and strengthen
them.” Those are the words transformational Mommy
Growth Coach Ms. Jennifer Pink, aka Mrs. Jennifer
McGhee, spoke over and over again as she watched the
stories of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Sandra Bland,
Eric Garner, Philando Castile and so many more come to
life on television and through social media. While so
many of her colleagues and associates seemed to just cry
out in pain, fear and with a sense of hopelessness she was
determined to do something, anything to make a real
difference.
In August 2016 when Jennifer and her then fiance’,
Israel, moved from California and Texas respectively, to
Georgia she knew this was the beginning of more than
just a fresh start for her family but also for her
community. Separately Israel and Jennifer have
encountered so much pain and devastation that
everyone who knows and hears their story applauds
their tenacity and spirit to be more than just a great
family but true change agents in their community. Having
both been products of single parent homes, they may not
have always seen the best example of Family but they’ve
always been determined to have a strong, united,
thriving Family.
 In 2017, they began the groundwork for what stands
today as the McGhee Collective. The collective has one
purpose, to transform the Melanin Community into a
nation-village, by focusing on the Melanin Family.  A
collective is a group of people who unite for a
cooperative enterprise.  The Melanin community is at its
best when the group mindset benefits the collective
rather than the individual. This, therefore, is the 
McGhee's goal for the entire Melanin community: for us
to cooperate and work together for the greater good of
us all. The plan is to take the village mentality of working
together, supporting one another and lending a helping
hand and apply it to the entire community. No matter
where you are, what you need, or if you are surrounded
by your village or not you will always have the Melanin
village. The collective has 5 core values: Health and
Wellness, Education, Finances, Parenting and
Mindfulness.
Although the Collective’s primary focus is the Melanin
Family they understand the importance of focusing on
each member of the family individually, while nurturing
the various family structures that exist: single parent, co-
parent and blended, as well as Melanin businesses and
economics.  The Collective is truly a Family Business;
Israel and Jennifer lead the charge but ‘Nanie’, Patrice
Jackson, serves as Public Relations and Manager and the
children affectionately called the JKids, create, question
and are the big WHY for all that the McGhees do within
the collective. The McGhees hope as they grow to not
only add more personal family members to the
Collective but also other Melanin Families.
The McGhee Family
SEPTEMBER
2018 • THRIVE |
4