Jennifer Jones is an accomplished and award-winning dancer, actor, author, and cancer survivor. At the age of 20, Jennifer overcame race barriers by making history as the first Black woman to join the Radio City Rockettes. In the years since, Jennifer has continued to trail-blaze and is celebrated for her unwavering advocacy for equal rights in the arts and for women’s health.
In this episode, Jennifer Jones discusses:
- a brief background of the Rockettes, the precision dance company founded a century ago in the United States, when Black performers were not permitted to dance on stage with white performers,
- her courageous decision, in 1987, to audition for the Rockettes and becoming the first Black woman to be selected to join this prestigious group of dancers,
- the importance of listening to our intuition and pursuing our dreams,
- her experiences with both acceptance and discrimination,
- being diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer and given an estimated five years to live, and then successfully battling the disease,
- her advice to women to find medical practitioners who will listen to them and answer their questions,
- the importance of voicing our thoughts and feelings and the reminder that the more we do it, the easier it becomes,
- and, her closing message in this episode, “We all have a special gift to give to the world, our own special footprint, our own legacy to leave… Each challenge is an opportunity for growth. It’s a learning experience, allowing us to shine our own light on this world. Support one another, love one another, and shine on.”
The Power of Stories Podcast by SayItForward.org is a podcast BY women, ABOUT women, and FOR women!
Listen to previous episodes with women from around the world here. SayItForward.org is the storytelling platform for women and girls to share their experiences, and to read about the experiences of others. The site is full of inspiring stories submitted by people from around the world.
