THE PEOPLE POWERING THE JXN PROJECT

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The JXN Project, which is a 2021 Golden Hammer Nominee with Historic Richmond, is powered by two daughters of Richmond, who also happen to be sisters – Enjoli Moon  [left] and Dr. Sesha Joi Moon [right] – or more commonly called "The Moon Sisters".  

Enjoli is the Assistant Curator of Film and Special Programs with the Institute of Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University and Creative Director of the Afrikana Independent Film Festival, which holds the distinct honor of being the first and only Black film festival in Richmond – hosting a variety of pivotal cultural figures such as Angela Davis and Nikki Giovanni. Although a grassroots effort, Afrikana has been hailed as the premiere space for Black arts and culture in the city – while quickly becoming the regional hub for Black indie cinema. She is also the founding chair of BLK RVA, a Richmond Region Tourism initiative designed to connect Richmond residents and visitors with Black-owned businesses in the area. She and her work has been featured in local and national publications, such as Style Weekly, Huffington Post, BET, Essence, Black Enterprise, Travel Noire, The Root and Virginia Currents on PBS. She was recently recognized as one of the 2021 "People to Meet" for Virginia Business Magazine and received the 2020 VCIC Humanitarian Award, as well as the 2020 Richmond Times-Dispatch Strong Voices Award. She is also the recipient of Style Weekly's Women In the Arts Award and Top 40 Under 40. However, her greatest accomplishment is being a mother to her son, Jonah – an artist and aspiring filmmaker at Emerson College.

Sesha is the Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the National Institute of Standards and Technology with the U.S. Department of Commerce, where she has received the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Bronze Award for Superior Performance, Commerce Spirit Award, and Spotlight on Commerce for LGBT+ Pride Month. She is a Senior Fellow of the Excellence in Government Fellowship with the Partnership for Public Service and Senior Research Fellow with The Conference Board’s Engagement Institute. She received a Masters of Science from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs and Bachelor of Arts in Black Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, as well as a PhD from Old Dominion University where her research focused on the role of intersectionality on the career mobility of women of color in the federal government. She has completed programs at the Harvard Business School, eCornell University, and MUMA College of Business at the University of South Florida. She is also a micro-influencer who curates an instablog called @AngryBlackFemale, which consists of 11K+ members -- and most recently she was awarded the "2021 Year of Rest" by the Getaway House. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, as well as a board member with the St. Jude 5K Walk|Run DC and Virginia Criminal Justice Services Board. She resides in Northern Virginia with her wife, Janice Pritchett, Director of Athletics at Lake Braddock Secondary School, and cockapoo, Benji – but her heart is forever at home in Richmond.

In 2018, the Moon Sisters joined forces to create a travel series called A Blackass Field Trip, which are intimately curated excursions designed to educate Black people on the Black experience by exploring Black spaces across the Black diaspora that have influenced Black history – with direct ties to Richmond, VA. Past trips included the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and Legacy Museum in Montgomery, AL and the Whitney Plantation in New Orleans, LA – and a planned trip to Barbados was recently rescheduled due to COVID-19. 

In addition to its co-creators, The JXN Project is supported by a project team – to include Dr. Michon Moon [JXN Director of Grants], Nigel Richardson [JXN Operations Manager], Meredith Carrington [JXN Director of Design], Morgan Dye [JXN Director of Communications], and Jonah Hodari [JXN Social Media Manager]. The project is also supported by a programmatic team – to include Todd Waldo [Hugh Helen, LLC], Marc Holland [Opus Media Group], David Riley [Institute of Contemporary Art], and Keshia Eugene [Freelance Photographer].