Jill Carson, a leader in the Lee County Chapter, was a founding member of Virginia Organizing Project’s original Organizing Committee back in 1995. Since then, Jill has stayed focused on helping real people make real change.

“Meet people where they are,” she said. “And don’t preach to the choir. Go out and find people you wouldn’t otherwise talk to. That’s what this is all about.”

Jill first got involved when two people she trusted, Sister Beth Davies and Sue Ella Kobak, asked her to meet a community organizer they knew.

“He started to talk with us about this whole concept of organizing. We went out doing 1:1s and putting people together who had like concerns. That’s where Virginia Organizing started!”

Jill is especially proud of their first campaign. After learning that no people of color were ever called for jury duty, Jill and other leaders organized to challenge the process. Their work resulted not only in the first people of color serving on juries but poor white citizens were selected for the first time too!

More recently, Jill has fought to reopen Lee County’s only hospital. By meeting with the Hospital Authority, appealing to statewide officials, and organizing public forums, the Lee County Chapter is working to make real change.

Thank you, Jill, for all your work to build a more just Virginia!