Join Jeanne as she talks with two fearless and authentic women, mother-daughter duo Jimalita Tillman and 17-year-old Dr. Dorothy Jean (DJ) Tillman. (Yes, this young woman has her doctorate!) Jimalita and Dr. DJ get real about growing up under the legacy of their mother and grandmother, civil rights activist and former Chicago Alderman, Dorothy Jean Tillman. Hear how they deal with the naysayers, how their family traditions have played a role in their authenticity, and how Jimalita supports a child prodigy.

Jimalita Tillman is the global director of programs and operations for the Harold Washington Cultural Center and executive producer of Broadway in Brownsville and Broadway in Brownsville Beyond Borders, a worldwide arts outreach and cultural exchange program. She received WVON’s 2021 40 under 40 Game Changers Award and was recognized by the Congressional Black Caucus for her dedication and commitment to arts advocacy. She was also involved in the Save Our Stages campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping raise more than $14 billion in economic relief for thousands of arts-related venues, organizations, and staff.

Jimalita’s daughter, Dr. Dorothy Jean Tillman, is an award-winning child prodigy, tech and art enthusiast, and community leader who just received her doctoral degree at the age of 17. She is the founder and CEO of Dorothy Jeanius STEAM Leadership Institute. She is an alumna of the Golden Eagle Aviation Legacy Flight Academy at the home of the Tuskegee Airmen and a publisher, speaker, and advisor on STEAM education in Ghana. Her numerous awards and honors include Diversity in Action magazine’s 2022 20 under 20 list of next-gen STEAM leaders, the Black Enterprise 40 under 40 - tech, and the 2018 Black Girls Rock - Who Rocks Next award, and she was recently selected to Chicago's Future Founder's program.

Jimalia Tillman
IG: @jimalita
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Dr. DJ Tillman
IG: @dorothyjeanius
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