LaShawnda Jones

A native of Gary, Indiana, LaShawnda Jones has lived all over the country before hanging her hat in New York City in 2005. She is the oldest of four children of the late Terry Ann Stuart. Jones earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Marketing Management from Milwaukee Area Technical College. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Art degree in Political Science and French at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. While at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she studied for a semester at the Université de Sorbonne IV in Paris. There, her studies focused on the European Union, French civilization and literature. Upon returning to the United States, Jones interned at the Women’s Resource Center located on UWM’s campus. While working for the WRC, Jones participated in programming and became attuned to social issues affecting women in her community. In 2000, Jones was selected as a full-figure model for the Ebony Fashion Fair, a traveling fashion show. The Ebony Fashion Fair is a non-profit division of the Johnson Publishing Company based in Chicago, Illinois. During the nine month tour, Jones traveled to over 170 U.S. cities, as well as several cities in Canada and the Bahamas. In 2004, Jones started, Jazzy Media LLC. She developed Jazzy Media with the goal of publishing an annual full-figured fashion calendar, posters, gift cards and her literary works. Jones published VoLux Full-Figured Calendar in 2005 and 2007. She published her first volume of poetry, Fantasies: A Metamorphosis of Sexual Attraction in 2005. Her second volume of poetry, Clichés: A Life in Verse was published in 2007. This year she contributed to a book of letters honoring First Lady Michelle Obama, Go, Tell Michelle. Currently, Jones is compiling a collection of blogs on spiritual growth and development through our relationships. Early in 2008, Jones joined amNewYork as a blogger for their politics blog, Politirazzi. amNewYork is a free daily newspaper with a 300,000 plus circulation in the metro New York City area. Jones covered the 2008 presidential campaigns, primaries and election. She posted numerous pieces highlighting her take on the high profile spectacle. She has maintained her blogger status since the election.