Gerald Haines Davis has spent his life teaching, counseling and advocating for families, youth, and the disadvantaged with special needs. He exhibits a passion to be in service for others and is clear about his reliance on God to direct his efforts. For 39 years, he supervised a variety of facilities and programs for the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Recreation. Gerald holds a Master's degree in education with a concentration in counseling from Antioch University in Pennsylvania; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Cheyney University in Pennsylvania. He completed course requirements for a secondary education certification in history, with minors in psychology and special education. Gerald also has certificates in drug and alcohol counseling and community service. Gerald is retired and resides with his wife in their beloved community of Hayti.

Tina Morton, born in Coatesville, PA and raised in Hayti, is a media activist, documentarian, and Associate Professor at Howard University. Her work began when she took classes at Scribe Video Center in Philadelphia, PA over two decades ago. Her first films, The Dance in Aunt Ida Lee and Severed Souls are illustrative of her commitment to exploring and documenting family and oral histories in communities whose stories are often overlooked. Morton shares her talents by returning to work with Scribe to facilitate production on several community history documentaries. This sensitivity to telling personal narratives is a common thread found throughout all her work. Morton is the recipient of a Pew Fellowship, a Leeway Transformation Award and two Art and Change Grants. Tina completed two artist residencies. One at Banff in Calgary Canada and the other at the 18^thStreet Arts Center, in Santa Monica, CA. Among her many works, her feature documentary Belly Of The Basin, produced with Roxana Walker-Canton won best feature documentary at the Hollywood Black Film Festival. Morton was also commissioned to complete a work for Scribe Video Center on The Great Migration Project.

Valerie Morton is a lifelong and proud resident of Coatesville, PA. She retired from Vanguard Wealth Management’s Human Resources Department after 20 years of service. Valerie enjoys researching and documenting the rich, yet often neglected, history of African Americans who sacrificed their time and talents for the betterment of Coatesville. Collaborating with the Hayti Historical Society and the Scribe Video Center of Philadelphia, PA, she directed her first documentary, “Build Your Own Door” about Dr. Whittier C. Atkinson, the only African American physician in Coatesville to build and successfully operate his own hospital. Dr. Atkinson’s journey was one of explicit devotion, intellectual grace, personal sacrifice, and sorrow. Valerie has a passion for promoting health and wellness through gardening. She is a Penn State Master Gardener and a horticultural assistant at the world-renowned Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA. She plans to open her own community garden center.

Toni Barber is retired from careers in education, business, and government. As an educator for 10 years, she taught history and was faculty advisor for the student government association and varsity cheerleaders. In business, she worked for 12 years at a Fortune 500 process automation corporation as a project planner and as a contract negotiator. In government, she served 16 years as a contracting officer for multi-million-dollar federal construction projects. Throughout the years, Toni was also involved in the fine arts and was the recipient of a Leeway Art and Change Grant. She participated with fellow Hayti community residents, under the direction of Tina Morton, in the making of the Scribe Video Center of Philadelphia, PA production of Hayti: An Oasis for the Public Television documentary series, Precious Places. Toni enjoys researching and documenting the history of Hayti and the Passtown Elementary School. She is the author of “The First 100 Years 1907-2007: The History of the First Baptist Church of Passtown.” Toni is the recipient of the Rebecca Lukens Award, established by the Graystone Society’s National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum, for her commitment and passion for preserving local history.

Roberta Showell was born and raised in Coatesville, PA. She is a graduate of Coatesville Area High School, as well as the Vocational Technical School, specializing in chemical technology. Roberta attended Harcum Junior College in Bryn Mawr, PA where she specialized in medical technology. She also attended West Chester University and the Lancaster Bible College. She was employed at Sartomer Company, a division of Arkema Chemicals for 35 years. During her tenure there, she served as a Quality Control Technician and was promoted to Project Chemist, Research and Development Chemist, Quality Control Manager, and retired as a Quality Control Supervisor.  In retirement, Roberta is enjoying world travel and indulging in her lifelong dream of writing a book. She mentors a group pf women called Women in Transition and Surviving (WITS), ranging in age from millennials to traditionalists. She is an adult Sunday School teacher for the group, Christian Life Development. Previously, she created and mentored a group of teen girls called GIFTS – Girls in Fellowship Together and Surviving, which assisted them in understanding their giftedness and value as young women. Now, Roberta’s daughter continues the GIFT tradition of mentoring young women. Roberta is the mother of three adult children and four grandchildren.

Marsha London is a life-long resident of Coatesville, PA. Marsha was a student of the Passtown Elementary School during the era of segregation. She was among the first full class of students to integrate Rainbow Elementary School in 1958, after the closure of Passtown Elementary School. As a mother and grandmother, Marsha devoted her life to helping children. She was an elementary school teacher in the Coatesville Area School District. She later joined the Children, Youth, Women’s Alliance (CYWA), serving in various capacities, such as Youth Director, Family Center Advocate, Youth Employment Director, and Community Service Director. She continued her passion for helping children as the Director of the Chester County Learning Center Day Care. She served as a substitute teacher at the Gordon Learning Center and volunteered as a GED instructor for OIC. Marsha is a dedicated member of the First Baptist Church of Passtown, having served for 30 years as its Director of Vacation Bible School.

Jami Craig was born and raised in Coatesville, PA. He is a dedicated community advocate with a passion for promoting education, cultural preservation, and social equity. A lifelong learner and collaborator, Jami has contributed to numerous local initiatives aimed at uplifting underrepresented voices and fostering growth in diverse communities. Jami is a graduate of Lincoln University, Oxford, PA, with a B.A. in history and political science. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War, having served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Jami’s professional background spans a range of fields, combining expertise in public policy, education, communications, and community development. For 12 years, he was a Partner with Lancaster Craig & Associates, Co-Founder of United Minority Contractors of NC, and Co-Founder of African American Real Estate Professionals of NC. Also, Jami was a co-founder of the Lincoln University Historical Initiative that was instrumental in getting multiple sites historically approved and certified. These sites are now the oldest buildings of any of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). In addition to professional accomplishments, Jami is a professional photographer and captures local historical landmarks and events.

Patricia Adkins spent her 40-year career working in executive-level positions in the nonprofit, federal and corporate sectors, with a focus on business operations, financial management, and public policy. Working for organizations committed to helping children, families, and older adults provided the most rewarding experiences for making lasting change at the state, local, and national levels. Over her career, she served as Executive Director and Chief of Staff at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Public Policy for the Lowe’s Home Safety Council, and Chief Operating Officer for Safe Kids Worldwide. Patricia was born and raised in Coatesville, PA and enjoyed her childhood and teen years in the Hayti community. After graduating from Coatesville Area High School, she moved to Washington, DC to attend Howard University where she received her B.A. and M.B.A.