In this episode, Abigail goes one-on-one with Major Joe Womack. Born in historic Africatown, a community in Mobile, Ala., Joe graduated from the Mobile County Training School in 1968 — the first training school for Black folks in the state of Alabama. After earning a degree in business administration from Saint Paul’s College in Virginia, he served 20 years in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. Joe led operations in Japan, Korea, Pensacola, and New Orleans. He worked for 16 years at Shell/Dupont, where he was the first Black professional to be promoted at the chemical facility.

Joe has initiated many locally led community efforts, including: Mobile County Training School Alumni Association, Africatown Community Development Corporation, Mobile County African American Summit, Black Military Workers of America, Inc., and the Mobile Environmental Justice Action Coalition. Major Womack is an inspiring leader in promoting positive and sustainable change and currently leads a nonprofit organization called Africatown-C.H.E.S.S. (Clean, Healthy, Educated, Safe & Sustainable Community).