NAN Celebrates Living Black History, Honoring Jamie Bland

Every day during Black History Month, we will honor chapter leaders, advocates, and partners who are shaping Black History now.

(February 11(2th, 2021) — Today we highlight some of the community efforts and achievements of Jamie Bland, Chapter President, Paterson, New Jersey.

Jamie Bland has served as the Founder and Executive Director of the Jumpstart Community Training Youth and Family Services since 2000. She is a youth specialist and program developer who analyzes youth and community, and develops the needed solutions and resources. Bland has also founded and directed a city food pantry that has served thousands of families in the Passaic and Bergen Counties of NJ, since 2017.

Between 2010 and 2017, Bland brokered a partnership between Jumpstart and the Paterson Board of Education. Together they created eight school sites, after school programs, mentoring and counseling programs, and Behavioral Assistance (in-home) services.

In 2015, as a collaboration with the One-Stop Department of Labor, Jumpstart was able to offer GED classes. In 2017 Ms. Bland was able to certify Jumpstart as a private Career School.

Since 2011 Bland has served as the Paterson, New Jersey National Action Network Chapter Leader. Under Rev. Al Sharpton’s leadership Bland serves as a crisis liaison, helping to provide resources to their community.

Starting in 2019, Bland serves as the present active ,ember of Paterson Rotary Club, donating time and resources for the City of Paterson. She has also served since 2019 as NJ State Commissioner- focusing on uplifting the urban community under Governor Phil Murphy.

Since 2007, Bland has served as the Municipal County Committee Woman and the leader of the 4th Ward under the leadership of Chairman John Currie. She is also a proud Women’s Auxiliary Member since 2009.

Bland was also the writer, director, and executive producer of the 6-episode TV Series “Think Twice Little Gangsta,”. The show reveals how drugs, gang violence, and alcohol can plague a community and the consequences of wanting “to be down”. Bland has also made a documentary called “Life After Deportation”, shot in Jamaica, which reveals the real-life plight of a man that experienced deportation from America for a non-violent crime. The show also touches on the hardships that many people that face the transition of homelessness and abandonment coming from America.

In 2008 Jamie Bland began her cable TV show under Bergan County Time Warner and Paterson, NJ with State-to-State productions.