Biography

Tawanda Jones is trying to entice youth to stay off the street and do something positive with their lives through dance. Tawanda was born in 1971 and grew up in Camden, New Jersey. Camden is a city devastated by its long history of violence, crime, and poverty, and the conditions have not improved. For several generations now, families have struggled to survive and find hope. Tawanda lost her father when she was a teenager. She remembers that when her dad passed, she didn’t know what to do, and she ended up acting out in ways that were unlike herself. She became a teenage mother. Thankfully, she had the love and care of her family to help her. In Camden, many other teenage mothers do not have the same support system.

At 15, Tawanda ended up trying out for the drill team at the Camden Youth Activity Center. The drill team leader saw leadership potential in Tawanda and asked her to lead and teach the team instead. Excited by the opportunity, she said yes. Shortly after Tawanda took on the leadership role, the Youth Center lost all its funding. Dozens of girls showed up at her door, looking to her for a new opportunity and solution for their drill team. This was a game-changer for Tawanda, and she found her life’s calling. Tawanda immediately founded the Camden Sophisticated Sisters. She and her husband Robert have mentored and taught over 4,000 children and youth in their community. The girls’ drill team program has expanded to include a boys’ drill team and drumline too. CSS has been working hard to instill creativity, leadership, discipline, and academic goals for the youth of Camden. In addition to the drill and drumline teams, they have the opportunity to go on college tours, get help with college applications, and receive tutoring assistance.