Kenya Townsend
If you ever have the opportunity to meet Kenya Townsend, you have met a friend for life. Her personality is infectious, and if you ever are in her presence, she leaves you encouraged and inspired. Born in Monticello, Mississippi, she is currently an employee at the Chicago Assembly Plant and a member of UAW Local 551.
Kenya is involved with various groups from CLUW, NAACP, CBTU and is an active member of the UAW. When it comes to the community, she has been involved with many organizations helping to raise awareness and funding. Some of the charities she has been involved with are the American Heart Association, Breast Cancer Awareness, collecting water for Flint, mentoring, the Get Out to Vote initiative, and raising funds for Alzheimer’s. Recently, she organized the bus trip from Chicago to the 2017 Women’s March on Washington, which turned out to be the largest single-day demonstration in United States’ history. Wherever there is a need or struggle, she is willing to lean a helping hand. She feels that each organization is equal in need and wants someone to be able to advocate on her behalf if the day comes when she is not able.
Townsend’s involvement started because she felt there was a lack of women involved in the union. She joined standing committees in her local including the Women’s Committee, the Recreation, and Community Service and Civil Rights Committees. Still wanting more, she was elected to the Trustee's office, served two terms as an Alternate Committeeperson, and the Vice President of her local. In 2011, she left Chicago and moved to Detroit, MI, for a position as an International Union Rep in the Ford Department, under the leadership of Vice President Jimmy Settles and 2019, to currently she’s an elected Bargaining Unit at the Chicago Assembly Plant.
Believing there was a higher calling back in Chicago, she returned home to reenergize. There, she holds the appointed position of Ford Production System Coordinator. She picked up right where she left off and began working in the CLUW organization. As a member of CLUW, she has a renewed passion for helping women organize and build coalitions to make a better place for women in the union and in the community. Out of all of her accomplishments, the best is her daughter Jazmine, who has left her speechless with the new addition to their family, her grandbaby Rylee.
Kenya is always on the front line. She is the type of person who gets in the trenches with you: a natural leader with a heart of gold. She is passionate about women’s rights and helping women achieve their goals collectively. Her mission is to support and motivate other young women to get involved and leave a legacy. What inspires and motivates Kenya is assisting others.
She would like people to know that this journey that she is on is not about her. It is about helping others and giving back. It is about extending a hand behind you and pulling someone forward.
Kenya is involved with various groups from CLUW, NAACP, CBTU and is an active member of the UAW. When it comes to the community, she has been involved with many organizations helping to raise awareness and funding. Some of the charities she has been involved with are the American Heart Association, Breast Cancer Awareness, collecting water for Flint, mentoring, the Get Out to Vote initiative, and raising funds for Alzheimer’s. Recently, she organized the bus trip from Chicago to the 2017 Women’s March on Washington, which turned out to be the largest single-day demonstration in United States’ history. Wherever there is a need or struggle, she is willing to lean a helping hand. She feels that each organization is equal in need and wants someone to be able to advocate on her behalf if the day comes when she is not able.
Townsend’s involvement started because she felt there was a lack of women involved in the union. She joined standing committees in her local including the Women’s Committee, the Recreation, and Community Service and Civil Rights Committees. Still wanting more, she was elected to the Trustee's office, served two terms as an Alternate Committeeperson, and the Vice President of her local. In 2011, she left Chicago and moved to Detroit, MI, for a position as an International Union Rep in the Ford Department, under the leadership of Vice President Jimmy Settles and 2019, to currently she’s an elected Bargaining Unit at the Chicago Assembly Plant.
Believing there was a higher calling back in Chicago, she returned home to reenergize. There, she holds the appointed position of Ford Production System Coordinator. She picked up right where she left off and began working in the CLUW organization. As a member of CLUW, she has a renewed passion for helping women organize and build coalitions to make a better place for women in the union and in the community. Out of all of her accomplishments, the best is her daughter Jazmine, who has left her speechless with the new addition to their family, her grandbaby Rylee.
Kenya is always on the front line. She is the type of person who gets in the trenches with you: a natural leader with a heart of gold. She is passionate about women’s rights and helping women achieve their goals collectively. Her mission is to support and motivate other young women to get involved and leave a legacy. What inspires and motivates Kenya is assisting others.
She would like people to know that this journey that she is on is not about her. It is about helping others and giving back. It is about extending a hand behind you and pulling someone forward.