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Vibin' with Tonza

Author: Tonza

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There is power in being a part of a community where people are having open and honest conversations about our experiences here on earth. VIBIN' about LIFE, LOVE, EMPOWERMENT!
27 Episodes
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Tanesha Ash-Shakoor, J.D., was given the opportunity to experience first hand how  sharing her own story of domestic violence could affect the lives of victims and survivors. After sharing her her testimony at a church service one Sunday, a woman in the congregation began to scream.  It was the sound of purpose going forth and a woman being released from thoughts of suicide.  This woman indicated that after service she had planned to commit suicide because she saw no other options after being abused and buried alive.That is when Tanesha Ash-Shakoor knew that the emotional, physical and sexual abuse that she had once endured had to come out and go forth.  She could no longer choose to be silent knowing that her survival wasn’t a mistake.  She could no longer allow the enemy, that silenced her for over a year, to defeat her.  It was time to change her thoughts and she began to no longer see herself as a victim but a survivor. It didn’t happen over night and often times she got ahead of what God had purposed for her.  Brainstorming and then praying, Voices of Color was created.  She began speaking out where ever and whenever she could, freely offering her testimony and an ear to those who wanted to share their testimonies.Voices of Color, the non-profit organization founded by Tanesha Ash-Shakoor is dedicated to educating and preventing domestic violence for all races, ages, sexual orientations, religions, and genders, and actively working toward restoring self empowerment for victims and survivors. HEY! BEFORE YOU GO...Don't forget to go to www.tonzadruffin.com and subscribe so that you every new blog post will be sent directly to your email when published. 
Celisa Lehew, Assistant Chief of Police with the Chapel Hill Police Department, currently leads the Uniformed Patrol Division, Investigations, and School Resource Officers.  Having started her career as a Patrol Officer in 2004, she has previously led the Training Division, Crisis Unit, Quartermaster, Information Services, and Budget Operations. Celisa holds a Master’s Degree in Justice Administration from Methodist University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Lake Superior State University. Celisa is passionate for her community currently serving as a board member for Our Children’s Place of Coastal Horizons Center and Dispute Settlement Center; as well as the Town’s staff liaison for the Justice in Action Committee. She is a member of the North Carolina Police Executives Association, FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association, and Alpha Pi Sigma. Celisa was recently named a 2019 Woman of Achievement by Chapel Hill Magazine. Celisa is a sought-after speaker and teacher on community policing, ethics, leadership and investigations.  A born and raised Canadian, fluent in French, she is an outdoors enthusiast and Toronto Maple Leafs hockey fan. Celisa is a mother to two daughters, with a husband who also serves in law enforcement.  Megan Johnson, LCMHC serves as a civilian Division Commander for the Chapel Hill Police Department managing the Crisis Unit, a 24-hour co-response team that provides onsite emergency response with officers to persons in crisis situations of which may include intimate partner or sexual violence, persons experiencing psychiatric emergencies or persistent mental health concerns, situations requiring safety planning and lethality assessments, and incidents involving serious injury or death. In this role, she provides clinical oversight of the Police Peer Support Team which provides confidential emotional support to first responders under a peer-to-peer model.  Megan serves as the Coordinator for the Department’s Crisis Negotiation Team which is deployed during critical incidents that require specific engagement with suicidal persons, barricaded subjects, and hostage situations. She also oversees the administration of the Town of Chapel Hill’s Criminal Justice Debt Program which provides criminal justice related debt relief to indigent members of the community. Prior to joining the Crisis Unit, Megan worked as an Emergency Services Clinician for the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Assessment Center, an extension of Colonial Behavioral Health's Emergency Services Unit in Williamsburg, Virginia, where she provided assessment and intervention services in community, correctional, and hospital settings to adults, children and families in crisis situations. Her specific clinical interest areas are Cluster B Personality Disorders, suicidality, and self-mutilation. Megan holds a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the College of William and Mary and is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina. In addition to subscribing to Vibin' With Tonza, please be sure to go to www.tonzadruffin.com and subscribe so that you can receive my blog in your inbox as soon as they are published.    
In 2019, after graduating from New York University School of Law with honors, Madhu joined The Center For Death Penalty Litigation (CDPL) as a staff attorney. While in law school, Madhu interned with various organizations that provided post-conviction legal support to people on death row, including the ACLU's Capital Punishment Project, the Southern Center for Human Rights, and The Equal Justice Initiative. She was also given the opportunity to represent individuals before the Alabama Board of Pardons and Parole and represented a family seeking resettlement through the International Refugee Assistance Project. In this episode of Vibin' With Tonza, Madhu talks about her journey as a young woman making career decisions, the importance of mentors, the work she does at CDPL, what empowerment means to her and so much more.Be sure to tune in! AND...if you want to learn more about The Center For Death Penalty Litigation go to www.cdpl.org.
Millennial woman, Whitley Grant is a proud double Eagle from the illustrious North Carolina Central University with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Masters of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialists and Certified Clinical Supervisor Intern located in Raleigh, NC. Whitley is passionate about focusing on Black Mental Health, specifically how it shows up in Black Women. She proudly identifies as a Black Feminist who views her profession through an intersectional social justice lens.Follow Whitley Grant on Instagram @the_intersectionaltherapistBe sure subscribe to www.tonzadruffin.com so that you can remain in the loop.You can find Vibin’ With Tonza on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Castro, IHeart Radio, Podchaser, Podcast Addict, Deezer, Listen Notes, and Pocket Cast!  
Brittney is known for being very passionate about the success of small businesses and young professionals. She is a native of Lewiston, NC, and a graduate of Bertie High School. Although she is from a small town, she didn't allow that to stop her shine and has created a path of her own! She earned her B.A. in Mass Communication with a concentration in Communication Studies from North Carolina Central University in 2014. There she was heavily involved with professional and community organizations, which honed many of her professional skills.  Currently, she helps several small to mid-size women-owned businesses with their digital marketing and branding efforts.  Her future goals includes starting a mentor program for middle-school and high school aged girls that focuses on entrepreneurship and creating an entrepreneurial program for battered centers for women.
Will Wildfire a.k.a. William Hoggard is following his passion. From a very early age he knew that music was his passion and worked hard to hone his skills. Since graduating from UNC Chapel Hill William has been working hard to make his mark in the music industry. I got to vibe with him since his move to Los Angeles and find out how how he is doing during this most trying time (COVID-19 Pandemic) and all that he is doing to make waves with his music.Be sure to tune in and check out my conversation with Will Wildfire!!!  Follow Will Wildfire on Instagram @will_wildfireCheck out his hot single Fruit Trees on Spotify, Apple Music, and the ITunes Store.
Lashanda Deberry is a mom, wife, cancer survivor, and cosmetologist who owned her own salon for 25 years. After closing her salon, Lashanda decided to pursue her education while developing her own line of natural hair products, Pur Bella Naturals. Lashanda believes there is a direct correlation between our health and the products that we use on our bodies. As such, she has poured her heart into developing a line that makes our natural hair look fabulous without all of the harsh, unhealthy chemicals. When asked to describe herself, Lashanda says she is a "holistic clean beauty maven".   If you are a Tabitha Brown fan, you may already be familiar with Pur Bella Naturals hair products. Mrs. Brown uses Pur Bella on "Donna".Tune in to check my conversation with Mrs. Lashanda Deberry! Check out Pur Bella Naturals online at https://www.purbellanaturals.comFollow Lashanda Deberry on Instagram at @purbellanaturals
UNC Chapel Hill Senior Forward Garrison Brooke is from Lafayette, Alabama. After a hard-working season, Brooks was selected to the Second Team All-ACC and was named Most Improved Player. While some may just see a basketball player, Brooks has another level to him. I enjoyed sitting down and talking to this young man about issues prevalent in our society today. Tune in to hear what Garrison has to say.
Find out: Are they offended by the term "Power Couple". How Taylor Made Publishing came to be. The cool people that the Taylors have met. How their family trip to Africa affected their lives. Want to purchase books by G. Todd Taylor? Simply click on the link https://www.taylormadenc.com/ABOUT GARRETT AND DIANE TAYLORG. TODD TAYLOR is a self-described Social-preneur who focuses on developing businesses that grow and strengthen the communities he serves. He’s an author, youth advocate, community activist, and most importantly father and husband. He is a 1997 graduate of Elizabeth City State University with a BS in Elementary Education with a double major in Social Science and has his Master’s in Public Administration from Troy University. For the past 20 years, G. Todd Taylor has served his community through his family business Uplift Comprehensive Services and through his nonprofit organization The Power of U. He has worked to divert the school to prison pipeline for countless young people and assisted families to maintain healthy relationships in order to provide homes that give young people the best possible probabilities of success. As an author, Mr. Taylor has gained global notoriety for his works in bringing diverse children’s books to the market. His works have not only been received in the US but in Ghana, South Africa, Costa Rica, Europe, and Brazil. He has been featured in the Huffington Post, Yahoo News, essence.com, Black Voices, and countless other media outlets. He and his books Dad Will I Be and Daddy’s Little Princess and I Don’t See Color have been featured at the Philadelphia Children’s Book Fair, the nation’s largest African American Children’s book fair for the past four years and was a featured author three years in a row at Essence Festival. In 2019 Mr. Taylor gained Global Recognition as he was given the Order of the Living Waters Award presented by The African Diaspora Nation with the encouragement of the African Union. Mr. Taylor received the award in Ghana where he was greeted by a host of African Royals and dignitaries. Garrett Taylor also serves on several community boards, including the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastal Plains, The Greenville Housing Authority, 100 Black Men, and the Nu Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi.DIANE N. TAYLOR is a wife, a mother and an entrepreneur. Originally from upstate New York, Mrs. Taylor has over seven years of experience in broadcast journalism in television, radio and newspaper mediums. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast/Journalism from Morgan State University and a Master’s in Technical and Professional Communications from East Carolina University. Mrs. Taylor moved to North Carolina to pursue a career in Public Relations and Public Health in 2002 and met her husband Garrett. After years as a Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Professional, Mrs. Taylor added author to her repertoire. Her book A Game of Faith – The Story of Negro League Baseball Player Carl Long in 2013 was the beginning of her business Taylor Made Publishing. Taylor Made Publishing, LLC is a full-service book publishing company whose focus is diverse children’s literature and increasing literacy among young minority readers. They have garnered much success including featured authors at ESSENCE, Yahoo News, TODAY show online, Huffington Post, Teen Vogue and a host of others. They also assist countless celebrities in fulfilling their self-publishing dreams, including reality television stars such as Kandi Burress and former NFL players.  Mrs. Taylor is also a community advocate. She serves on numerous boards, lending her expertise to being the change she wishes to see in her community. 
We are living proof that it is possible to peacefully co-exist and truly get along after a break up when you still share the responsibility of parenting a child. Tune in as we talk about our journey as a blended family.GUESTS:Alyssa Hopson - The reason we are blending. She is the head of our family tree! :-)Dorsey Hopson - Alyssa's dad. He resides in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to Alyssa, he is dad to Robbie and Little Dorsey.Robbie Hopson - One of Alyssa's beautiful sisters.Yasmin Mohammad  - Yasmin is Dorsey's better half and mom to a beautiful 17-year old daughter.In the Image: Alyssa, her dad, Robbie, and Little Dorsey. 
The Women Warriors were Vibin' so much I had to drop another episode! If you tuned in to Part I and Part II I am sure you will enjoy this episode. If you did not tune in to Part I and Part II after you listen to this episode I am sure you will want to check out Part I and Part II! Life, Love, Empowerment all over the place :-).ABOUT THE WOMEN WARRIORSJudge Brenda Branch was appointed District Court Judge for Halifax County in January 2007.  She ran unopposed in her election bids in 2008, 2012 and 2016.  Judge Branch was appointed as the first African American and first female Chief District Court Judge in Halifax County in August 2008 and the first female Chief District Court Judge in Bertie, Hertford, and Northampton Counties in December 2014. She served as an Assistant District Attorney before her judicial appointments.  Prior to becoming an Attorney, Judge Branch attended Halifax Community College and became a Paper Mill Mechanic. While working as a mechanic, she also served as a Diversity and Teambuilding Facilitator. She graduated from the evening program at North Carolina Wesleyan College with a degree in Justice and Public Policy then studied Public Administration in the evening program at East Carolina Graduate School before going on to complete law school at North Carolina Central School of Law.Judge Teresa Raquel Robinson Freeman is a native of Halifax County & she is a proud product of Halifax County Schools where her mother served as an educator for over 40 years. She is the youngest daughter of Leroy & Vivian Robinson of Enfield and she has an older sister Kimberley and an older brother Rickie. Teresa pursued her higher education at NC A&T State University where she graduated with a BS Degree in English Education in 1998. During her tenure at NC A&T, Teresa was a NC Teaching Fellow, Chancellor’s Scholar and also pledged the Alpha Mu Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. When Teresa finished college, she went on to law school at NCCU for 3 years, worked as a corporate attorney in Winston-Salem for 3 years and then moved back home to Enfield in 2004 to serve as an Assistant District Attorney with the Halifax County District Attorney’s Office. In November of 2008, Montre managed Teresa’s campaign & Teresa became the 1st African-American to be elected (with opposition) as a Halifax County District Court Judge.Judge Vershenia Ballance Moody was born Jan. 11, 1970 and was raised in Aulander, NC.  She attended Bertie County public schools and graduated from Bertie High School in 1988.  She attended and graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Minor in African American Studies.  She then obtained the Degree of Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law where she also graduated with honors.After graduating from law school, Judge Moody moved to New York where was admitted to the New York State Bar and worked for the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.  In 1997, she moved back home to Bertie County and began serving District 6B (Bertie, Hertford & Northampton Counties) as an Assistant District Attorney under the Hon. David H. Beard, Jr. and later as Senior Assistant District Attorney to the Hon. Valerie M. Asbell.In June 2005 she engaged in the private practice of law with a local firm.   It is in that capacity that she learned what it feels like to sit on the other side of the courtroom.  From 2009 through December 2012 she served as an Assistant District Attorney in the neighboring District, 6A, in Halifax County.  Upon taking her oath of office in January 2013, Judge Moody became the first woman to serve her counties on the bench in District 6B. 
How did Tanya push herself to take the leap and transition from her legal career to running her own website, My Forking Life? Tune in to hear!ABOUT TANYA HARRIS-FLEMING, ESQ.Tanya is an Attorney turned food blogger who shares quick, easy, and delicious recipes on her blog, Myforkinglife.com. She started her blog while she worked as an Assistant Public Defender and built it to an audience of over a million readers per month. She now works full time on her blog and spends her days developing recipes and creating content for her blog.
You all asked, and I listened! This was such a rich conversation about mental health, you definitely need to tune in. Keischa and I had very candid discussions about- the impact that the "super mom" mentality has on our daughters,-the impact that the "super mom" mentality has on our own psyche's,-what we can be doing as parents to support our children, -the state of mental health treatment in the African-American community,-and, so much more. ABOUT KEISCHA PRUDENKeischa Pruden is a believer, a wife of 25 years to husband Paul, mother to two amazing sons Aaron and Bryant, psychotherapist, and autism advocate/consultant. After obtaining her Bachelor of Science in General Psychology from Elizabeth City State University, Keischa went on to earn a Masters of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling and Substance Abuse Clinical Counseling from East Carolina University. Keischa holds the following licensures/certifications in North Carolina: Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor, Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist, Certified Clinical Supervisor, Substance Abuse Evaluator for NC DMV, Certified Child-Parent Psychotherapist and is a Local Certified Forensic Evaluator. These designations allow her to work with a wide range of populations and issues. In addition to being a therapist and autism/special needs consultant, Keischa is also a published author. Her first published work, "Walking With Moo and Other Adventures of Faith", is a daily devotional designed to help those who need encouragement in their daily lives to keep striving forward. Keischa shares her own struggles and experiences in this devotional, mainly her walks with her youngest son Bryant, nicknamed "Moo". Her latest published work, "Aaron and Me, Our Journey on the Spectrum", shares her family's experience with autism, as experienced by Keischa's youngest son Bryant.You can purchase Keischa's books on Amazon and at www.kpsworld.org.
Tune in to PART II of my conversation with these young ladies during our time of social distancing.Crossing generational lines to see what Gen Zs think about women's empowerment, feminism, etc. Cache' Bisasor is a senior at Cornell University and hails from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her major is Biology and Society.Alyssa Hopson is a junior at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and hails from Windsor, North Carolina. While at UNC-Chapel Hill Alyssa is majoring in Public Policy and Political Science.Courtney Muhammad is a senior at Elmont Memorial High School and hails from New York.
I love chatting it up with young women. They oftentimes make me look at things from a different perspective.  Since COVID-19 has impacted our daily lives in a major way I decided to touch base with 3 young women located in different parts of the country to see how they are being affected by this epidemic. Of course, I couldn't let them leave without talking about women's empowerment, crabs in a barrel, and vulnerability. Cache' Bisasor is a senior at Cornell University and hails from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her major is Biology and Society.Alyssa Hopson is a junior at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and hails from Windsor, North Carolina. While at UNC-Chapel Hill Alyssa is majoring in Public Policy and Political Science.Courtney Muhammad is a senior at Elmont Memorial High School and hails from New York.
The conversation with Binta Kindle was so good I had to share Part II with you. Hear how she is living with intention and being present.  8 months ago she and her husband sold everything they couldn't take with them, packed their bags, and moved from Atlanta, Ga to Valencia, Spain.About Binta Kindle:In 2005 Binta graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana with a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish. After working for a number of years in the banking and finance sector Binta returned to school and earned her MBA in Finance from Georgia State University. Prior to relocating to Spain Binta was the Vice President- Senior Relationship Manager at Bank of America Merrill Lynch for the Greater Atlanta Area.Outside of work, Binta was an active member of the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, and her sorority,  Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.She has been married to her high school sweetheart, Bobby Kindle, for almost 10 years now and they are the proud parents of 6-year-old Ava. 
It is official, my cousin and her family are ex-pats! After deciding that she wanted to be more present as a wife and a mom Binta Kindle took a leap of faith and walked away from her position as a Vice President- Senior Relationship Manager with Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Once their home in Atlanta was sold, the Kindles packed their bags, hopped on a flight and settled down 4500 miles away from Atlanta, Georgia in Valencia, Spain.It seems, from what I could gather during my recent trip to Valencia, the Kindles made the right decision! Tune in to my conversation with my "little" cousin about life as an ex-pat.About Binta Kindle:In 2005 Binta graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana with a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish. After working for a number of years in the banking and finance sector Binta returned to school and earned her MBA in Finance from Georgia State University. Prior to relocating to Spain Binta was the Vice President- Senior Relationship Manager at Bank of America Merrill Lynch for the Greater Atlanta Area. Outside of work, Binta was an active member of the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, and her sorority,  Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. She has been married to her high school sweetheart, Bobby Kindle, for almost 10 years now and they are the proud parents of 6-year-old Ava. 
Get into the mind of a couple of Millenials on this episode of Vibin' With Tonza.ABOUT MY GUESTS:Alyssa is my mini-me :-). Alyssa is currently a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill with a double major in public policy and political science. Like a lot of college students, she is always excited when mom comes to visit so that I can take her to her favorite restaurant, Kanki. As she grows into a young woman I can definitely tell that Alyssa has inherited my gene for travel, always up for an opportunity to explore a new city. Seteena is the daughter that I didn't know I had until she was in college :-). After receiving her bachelor of arts degree in media and communications at UNC-Chapel Hill, Seteena decided to stay a little longer to pursue a graduate degree in accounting. Also a true explorer, Seteena says her favorite restaurant varies by city but Pulcinellas in Durham, North Carolina is her favorite spot in the triangle.Seteena says she takes value in the relationships that she has built and continues to foster during her life. Given the choice, Seteena would pick experiences with friends and loved ones over material things all of the time.
Women's History Month is here and I am continuing my conversation with the Women Warriors! Be sure to tune in for Part II.Judge Brenda Branch was appointed District Court Judge for Halifax County in January 2007.  She ran unopposed in her election bids in 2008, 2012 and 2016.  Judge Branch was appointed as the first African American and first female Chief District Court Judge in Halifax County in August 2008 and the first female Chief District Court Judge in Bertie, Hertford, and Northampton Counties in December 2014. She served as an Assistant District Attorney in Halifax and Bertie Counties before her judicial appointments.  Prior to becoming an Attorney, Judge Branch attended Halifax Community College and became a Paper Mill Mechanic. While working as a mechanic, she also served as a Diversity and Teambuilding Facilitator. She graduated from the evening program at North Carolina Wesleyan College with a degree in Justice and Public Policy then studied Public Administration in the evening program at East Carolina Graduate School.  Judge Branch then graduated from North Carolina Central School of Law evening program and is a graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC where she was a Leadership Fellow. Judge Teresa Raquel Robinson Freeman is a native of Halifax County & she is a proud product of Halifax County Schools where her mother served as an educator for over 40 years. She is the youngest daughter of Leroy & Vivian Robinson of Enfield and she has an older sister Kimberley and an older brother Rickie. Teresa pursued her higher education at NC A&T State University where she graduated with a BS Degree in English Education in 1998. During her tenure at NC A&T, Teresa was a NC Teaching Fellow, Chancellor’s Scholar and also pledged the Alpha Mu Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. When Teresa finished college, she went on to law school at NCCU for 3 years, worked as a corporate attorney in Winston-Salem for 3 years and then moved back home to Enfield in 2004 to serve as an Assistant District Attorney with the Halifax County District Attorney’s Office. In November of 2008, Montre managed Teresa’s campaign & Teresa became the 1st African-American to be elected (with opposition) as a Halifax County District Court Judge. Judge Vershenia Ballance Moody was born Jan. 11, 1970 and was raised in Aulander, NC.  She attended Bertie County public schools and graduated from Bertie High School in 1988.  She attended and graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Minor in African American Studies.  She then obtained the Degree of Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law where she also graduated with honors.After graduating from law school, Judge Moody moved to New York where was admitted to the New York State Bar and worked for the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.  In 1997, she moved back home to Bertie County and began serving District 6B (Bertie, Hertford & Northampton Counties) as an Assistant District Attorney under the Hon. David H. Beard, Jr. and later as Senior Assistant District Attorney to the Hon. Valerie M. Asbell.In June 2005 she engaged in the private practice of law with a local firm.   It is in that capacity that she learned what it feels like to sit on the other side of the courtroom.  From 2009 through December 2012 she served as an Assistant District Attorney in the neighboring District, 6A, in Halifax County.  Upon taking her oath of office in January 2013, Judge Moody became the first woman to serve her counties on the bench in District 6B. 
What better way to end Black History Month and head into Women's History Month!Tune in and join us as these Women Warriors have honest conversations about life, love, and empowerment. Judge Brenda Branch was appointed District Court Judge for Halifax County in January 2007.  She ran unopposed in her election bids in 2008, 2012 and 2016.  Judge Branch was appointed as the first African American and first female Chief District Court Judge in Halifax County in August 2008 and the first female Chief District Court Judge in Bertie, Hertford, and Northampton Counties in December 2014. She served as an Assistant District Attorney in Halifax and Bertie Counties before her judicial appointments.  Prior to becoming an Attorney, Judge Branch attended Halifax Community College and became a Paper Mill Mechanic. While working as a mechanic, she also served as a Diversity and Teambuilding Facilitator. She graduated from the evening program at North Carolina Wesleyan College with a degree in Justice and Public Policy then studied Public Administration in the evening program at East Carolina Graduate School.  Judge Branch then graduated from North Carolina Central School of Law evening program and is a graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC where she was a Leadership Fellow. Judge Teresa Raquel Robinson Freeman is a native of Halifax County & she is a proud product of Halifax County Schools where her mother served as an educator for over 40 years. She is the youngest daughter of Leroy & Vivian Robinson of Enfield and she has an older sister Kimberley and an older brother Rickie. Teresa pursued her higher education at NC A&T State University where she graduated with a BS Degree in English Education in 1998. During her tenure at NC A&T, Teresa was a NC Teaching Fellow, Chancellor’s Scholar and also pledged the Alpha Mu Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. When Teresa finished college, she went on to law school at NCCU for 3 years, worked as a corporate attorney in Winston-Salem for 3 years and then moved back home to Enfield in 2004 to serve as an Assistant District Attorney with the Halifax County District Attorney’s Office. In November of 2008, Montre managed Teresa’s campaign & Teresa became the 1st African-American to be elected (with opposition) as a Halifax County District Court Judge. Judge Vershenia Ballance Moody was born Jan. 11, 1970 and was raised in Aulander, NC.  She attended Bertie County public schools and graduated from Bertie High School in 1988.  She attended and graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Minor in African American Studies.  She then obtained the Degree of Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law where she also graduated with honors.After graduating from law school, Judge Moody moved to New York where was admitted to the New York State Bar and worked for the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.  In 1997, she moved back home to Bertie County and began serving District 6B (Bertie, Hertford & Northampton Counties) as an Assistant District Attorney under the Hon. David H. Beard, Jr. and later as Senior Assistant District Attorney to the Hon. Valerie M. Asbell.In June 2005 she engaged in the private practice of law with a local firm.   It is in that capacity that she learned what it feels like to sit on the other side of the courtroom.  From 2009 through December 2012 she served as an Assistant District Attorney in the neighboring District, 6A, in Halifax County.  Upon taking her oath of office in January 2013, Judge Moody became the first woman to serve her counties on the bench in District 6B. 
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