Common Read Guide: Home

From the perch of poverty, farm life, family, and the confining community in which Janice Ellis grew up, she found her sense of purpose and determination to change things, to make them better. It was there that she gained an initial understanding of the importance of ethics and values, justice and equality, and caring for humanity in fostering a good society.

Her life experiences, during some very turbulent periods in an ever-evolving America, have profoundly shaped her work and writings — providing the grist, mission, authority, and authenticity required to become one’s best self.

As life has had its way, she has loved and lost, given birth and reared children alone as a divorcee, weathered verbal and physical abuse, had trail-blazing successes as an executive in corporate business and municipal government, and recovered from a colossal failure as a small business owner.

All — while navigating American life, as a Black, as a woman, and forever fighting against allowing either of those indelible birthmarks to define or confine her.

As circumstances, issues, and forces — social, political, economic — occur all around her, and push against her, she has chosen to push back. She has consciously entered and continues to enter the fray.

May you, as you learn of her trials and triumphs, be inspired to live your best self, too.