The Initiative connects young people of color from the inner cities across America to resources both financial and relational in order to remove the barriers designed to prevent them from reaching their greatest potential. The Initiative awards scholarships and mentorships to deserving high school and college graduates; sponsors personal and professional development workshops and inspires young people to create the future they dream of. See what's new in our News Section.
Meet Our
Founder and CEO
Founder and CEO
Melody Smith Johnson is a servant-leader, Gospel preacher, dedicated wife, mother and grandmother who proudly hails from Harlem, NY where she reared her children and developed a love for service to communities at large. She currently lives in Central New York.
Only daughter of the late Pastor Beverly L. Smith-Crafton who was trailblazer for women leaders in the Christian Church, Melody served in ministry alongside her mom for several decades in the areas of Teaching, Praise/Worship Ministry, Women Counseling, Youth and Singles Ministry.
As a career HR professional with more than 20 years in the field, she has worked for nonprofit organizations in New York State serving the most-vulnerable. She is a tenacious servant leader and activist focused on empowering women and uplifting communities of color. This relentless commitment to helping women from all walks of life experience celebrated beauty every day is the cornerstone that drives product design and the business model for Divine Coverings, LLC, her online retail business that “Adds Dazzle to the Details of your Life” .
Her greatest earthly loves are her husband Elder Thomas Johnson, children Sha-Risse Smith, Abraham Gatling, III; Zipporah Gatling, grandson Windell Francis, II. She hopes to be remembered as a champion for the Kingdom of God and a Servant to all.
Only daughter of the late Pastor Beverly L. Smith-Crafton who was trailblazer for women leaders in the Christian Church, Melody served in ministry alongside her mom for several decades in the areas of Teaching, Praise/Worship Ministry, Women Counseling, Youth and Singles Ministry.
As a career HR professional with more than 20 years in the field, she has worked for nonprofit organizations in New York State serving the most-vulnerable. She is a tenacious servant leader and activist focused on empowering women and uplifting communities of color. This relentless commitment to helping women from all walks of life experience celebrated beauty every day is the cornerstone that drives product design and the business model for Divine Coverings, LLC, her online retail business that “Adds Dazzle to the Details of your Life” .
Her greatest earthly loves are her husband Elder Thomas Johnson, children Sha-Risse Smith, Abraham Gatling, III; Zipporah Gatling, grandson Windell Francis, II. She hopes to be remembered as a champion for the Kingdom of God and a Servant to all.
Mission
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The Beverly L. Smith Empowerment Initiative ("The Initiative") is a Non-Profit Organization - 501(c)3 founded in 2016 to honor the legacy of Pastor Beverly L. Smith-Crafton, who was the Harlem based Founder/Pastor of Triumph Church of Christ, a revelatory teacher, powerful preacher, warrior-intercessor, dynamic mentor, faithful friend and entrepreneurial leader. Pastor Smith-Crafton exemplified living with purpose, loving unselfishly and walking according to the Word of God. She believed that knowledge was priceless and sharing knowledge was a mandate for the informed.
The Initiative connects young people of color from the inner cities across America to resources both financial and relational in order to remove the barriers designed to prevent them from reaching their greatest potential. Our mission is to ensure that young people of color living in an inner city have the opportunity to pursue and fulfill their God-given purpose. The Initiative awards scholarships and mentorships to deserving high school and college graduates; sponsors personal and professional development workshops and inspires young people to create the future they dream of. |
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Vision and Purpose
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The Initiative was formed to be a collective of resources that increase the likelihood of success of young people from inner city communities. We rest on the 7 foundational pillars: Truth, Righteousness, Community, Empowerment, Persistence, Godliness and Purpose. These are the pillars that guide our engagement within communities and among those we serve.
Since 2016, the Scholarship Fund has raised more than $50 thousand with the help of 200+ donor, to push young women of color towards their goals of a college education, to help them fulfill their dreams of an enriched college experience and to provide inspiration for them and their families to stay the course despite financial hardship. In 2018, we awarded college scholarships to 18 young women of color from communities across the Tri-State area: Syracuse, Auburn, Harlem, the Bronx, Washington Heights, Brooklyn, Queens, Bridgeport, Rockland County, Newark and Long Island. They have worked to overcome the challenges of poverty, peer pressure, racial discrimination, depression, familial dysfunction and just being a teenager of color in 21st Century America. Collectively, the represent the best their generation has to offer and The Initiative is honored and privileged to be a part of their success. |
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Board of Directors
Cathryn R. Smith
Cathryn Renee Smith is a native New Yorker, graduate of the acclaimed Fiorella LaGuardia High School of Music & Art. She is a vocal artist with Credible Witness Entertainment, LLC, an international multi-divisional music product company, a recording artist with MP2 Music based in Virginia and was honored to serve as a member of Salvation Gospel Repertory Company. Cathryn is Founder/Chief Baker of "Cathryn's Cobblers", which blesses the palette with homemade desserts and baked goods. She currently lives in NYC, is the mom of four, and wife of Curtis Smith, Founder/CEO ~ Credible Witness Entertainment, LLC. |
Veronica Jarrett
CEO of Jarrett Group Consulting Inc., Entrepreneurial Leader and , Corporate Management Consultant serves as Chief Financial Officer of The Food Bank For New York City. She has been with the Food Bank since November 2002, and has over 18 years of accounting and finance experience including independent consulting for non-profit organizations. Ms. Jarrett has taught at Bronx Community College, Lehman College, York College and Suffolk County Community College and is active in her community as a board member. Ms. Jarrett received her BA in Public Accountancy from Baruch College, MBA from Walden University. |
Bishop Russell M. Rillie
Bishop Russell M. Rillie is the Senior Pastor Rillie of The Latter House, Inc. of Poughkeepsie, New York. He works in leadership of Montefiore Health System in the Bronx, New York, serving as Manager of Clinical Support Services overseeing multiple areas of operations. Bishop Rillie obtained his BA in Business Management from CUNY Herbert Lehman College and is pursuing his Master of Science Degree in Business Management and Leadership from the CUNY School of Professional Studies. Bishop Rillie attended the acclaimed Manhattan Bible Institute where he is also a teacher of General Bible Courses. There he completed coursework in preparation for the pursuit of his Bachelor's Degree in Theology, Master’s Degree in Religious Education and Doctorate Degree in Theology. |
Reverend Lottie Harrison
Reverend Lottie Harrison is a deeply, committed servant of The Most High God. She is a born-again, baptized, Holy Ghost filled believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Reverend Harrison is the Assistant Associate Minister to the Pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church, located in New Brunswick, New Jersey where the Pastor Leo H. Graham is her spiritual leader. She serves as and the instructor of the New Member Discipleship Class and as a member of the Missionary Society. She is a dedicated teacher of Sunday School Church and the Saturday Bible Study. Reverend Harrison serves as a member of the Tabernacle Baptist Church Women’s Ministry. Reverend Harrison holds an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts from Pensacola, Florida and an Associate of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from Somerset Christian College of Bound Brook, New Jersey. |
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