Progressive Alliance of Henderson County September 2021 Newsletter

Jayne White Jennings wanted to be a writer. She grew up in Marion, a small town in South Carolina. That early upbringing was an impetus for her to graduate from high school early (a mistake, she now says), and go to college, graduating with a double major in English and History. She moved to Washington, DC and began work at a trade association. She loved life in the big city but chose to follow a beau back to South Carolina, finding work in the non-profit sector. By her mid 20s, she realized she was drawn to teaching and completed her master’s degree at Queens University. She started teaching in Charlotte. After meeting and marrying her husband, Darin, they moved to Asheville. After the birth of her son, Noah, the family moved once again, to Hendersonville in 2007.

Jayne’s interest in politics started in college. She marched to get the confederate flag removed from the South Carolina Capitol. While living in Washington DC she participated in a pro-choice march in the late 1980s and worked for 9 months as a political fundraiser for a very small pro-choice organization supporting pro-choice female candidates.

After the 2017 presidential election, Jayne and a neighbor, Amy Parrish, would often commiserate about the results. Rather than complaining, the two rounded up a few friends and began making calls to Congress regarding Trump’s cabinet nominees. A Facebook group was formed, called Progressive Organized Women (POW). Over 80 members showed up for the first rally! After a while, Amy stepped down and Kristi Boyer stepped up as co-leader. Jayne emphasizes that POW would not have happened without Amy or Kristi. In 2018, POW merged with Progressive Women of Hendersonville, and the Progressive Alliance of Henderson County was formed. In her own words, “I am very proud of the work that the members of POW did. I feel that we contributed to helping people be able to become activists locally and get more involved in improving our world.”

Jayne admits her personal priorities have shifted lately. She feels a strong need to build bridges between Republicans and Democrats, as the country has become so divisive. She has reached out to local Republican leaders to try and find common ground and focus on those things. She’s also concerned about voting rights and open access to accurate information. She’s an active member of the League of Women Voters. Additionally, she’s an ally for LGBTQ+ rights and equality. Jayne says:” I also spend time during election cycles meeting with, and talking to, local candidates in order to get to know them and offer support to the candidates I like.”

The reason Jayne has been successful in her endeavors lies in this statement: “My heart is really in building bridges and help reduce the divisiveness. I do it mostly in informal ways and building relationships.” We know that Jayne will continue to make a difference in this community, from the ground up.

September 2021 NEWSLETTER

The Progressive Alliance of Henderson County is a merger of Progressive Women of Hendersonville, Progressive Organized Women, Hendersonville Huddle, and the Silent Vigil for Immigration Reform, blending our energy and passion, working as one to strengthen our impact.