Tara Rawls Jenkins, Ed.D., is a national conference speaker known for her creative style of communication that infuses spoken word, music and dance and utilizes secular cultural references to explain scriptural principles. She is the wife of Grammy Award-winning songwriter and gospel recording artist Charles Jenkins and serves beside him in his role as senior pastor of the iconic Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church of Chicago. She also is the founder of Ministry Mates, an organization that equips ministry wives for ministry.
As a Black woman, what do you consider your superpower to be?
As a Black woman in America, I believe my superpower to be irrepressible resilience.
What key skills or qualities make you unique as an African American female leader?
The quality that makes me unique as an African American female leader is the flexibility to constantly adapt without adopting. I must adapt to the environments that I serve in without adopting their limited perceptions that are often skewed by flawed imaging or a lack of personal experience in the communities from which we emerge.
Why is it important for women of color to work in leadership roles and decision-making capacities?
It is important for women of color to lead and work in decision-making capacities because we can! Women of color have a unique perspective as a double minority in our society. This perspective informs decision making and leadership styles in a unique way. This distinguishing factor offers a compassionate connection to all levels of life, unlike any other group.
As a successful woman in business, what is your greatest or proudest achievement?
My greatest moments are when I see my teenage daughters present when I’m leading and serving others. I know that what they see impacts what they know to be possible. I am excited that they are living a life perceiving no limitations.
