Who is Tonja Murphy?

I am a lover of life and community. I love to see an aha moment in people, especially kids and women. Just to see them get it and get it for themselves gives me the greatest joy. I love to see all of their capabilities. That’s just who I am. I am a mom of three. I am a friend and I would like to say that I am a good friend. I am a servant. Yeah, that is who I am.

Do you live in Midtown?

Yes, I live and work in Midtown. I’ve lived in Midtown for thirteen (13) years and worked for Midtown Partners, Inc. for almost five years. Before working for Midtown Partners, I served on the board of directors. I currently serve on the BAM board of directors as well.

I know that you are an author as well. How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

I have published 5 books, and have drafts for several more. All of my books are my favorite, but I have a favorite reason for each one. I enjoy writing monthly columns for the Clarion-Ledger newspaper. Recently, I wrote columns for Mississippi Christian Living Magazine and Women to Women with Joanne: The Magazine. I am really proud of my writing for Mississippi Christian Living and I hope that it turns into something more because faith is a big part of who I am.

Who or what inspired you to write?

That would be God and my youngest son. I would send out a short “Thought for the Day” by text message to different people and one day my son said, “Mom, I feel like you have more to say.” I told him, “I do, I think I do.” Then I just started writing short stories and that’s how my first book “Icing on the Cupcake” came about. “Icing on the Cupcake” came about because one of my fraternity brothers, who happens to be a baker, would always have pictures of cupcakes on his social media pages. I noticed that on the cupcakes, there was never any icing that went to the edge of the cupcake, it was always kind of in the middle. I wondered why it was always like that and I thought maybe it was so that you would not get icing on your hands when you unwrapped the cupcake. God is like that and He gives us all things to enjoy, but with boundaries. What He gives us, we have to have some boundaries in it. With short story collections, most of them are named for a short story included in the collection. As I was going through the titles, “Icing on the Cupcake” wouldn’t let me go. My fraternity brother’s cupcakes are actually on the cover of the book.

How do you feel that you are able to reach and impact the community of Midtown through your employment with Midtown Partners?

As the Youth Engagement Specialist, I am able to impact the youth, middle school, and high school students. It gives me an opportunity to meet them at a very pivotal point in their lives. My goal is to show them that a caring adult is able to mentor them without telling them what to do. I show them choices, and allow them to discover the best choice for them. They decide the best choice for them based on their experience, education and future aspirations. I like working through situations with them and it has been a wonderful journey. Some of the kids live in Midtown, but some of them feed into the community through the high school and I try to reach as many as I can. I love to see them empowered to make their own decisions. It’s not about what I do for them, it’s about what they learn and what they can actually do for themselves and process their way through it. I am so grateful that my life and my work in Midtown has been filled with so many success stories.

How has the Midtown community inspired you as an author?

I can tell you about an experience I had at one of the senior congregate meals. I went in to read some of the short stories from “Icing on the Cupcake” and they really enjoyed it. They were glad to see a youth in the community, which is what they consider me as, to be a published author. One thing I can appreciate about being with the elderly is you don’t have to be related to feel warmth that resembles the arms of a grandparent. They are proud when they see someone successful who looks like them. Having those opportunities inspire me.

Has BAM helped you connect with the community more?

BAM has helped me connect more with businesses and find out what it is that they do. With work, I am able to go ask business owners if they are willing to take time to speak with youth about the trials and triumphs of being a business owner. It is important that they know that there are successful small businesses right in their own community.

In ten words or less, describe Midtown in the next five years.

Evolving with neighbors, businesses, and events comparable to Fondren and Belhaven.

What is your most enjoyable memory of Midtown?

My children being able to attend a community school that was loving and welcoming, with great teachers, students, and parents. It was great to see my kids grow up, play with, and go to the same schools as all of the other kids in the community.

What is The Ladybug Club?

That is a very loaded question because we are so many things, but The Ladybug Club is a nonprofit mother and daughter organization that focuses on four things: education, community involvement, empowerment, and family. Ages range from six to sixteen, but once a Ladybug, always a Ladybug. We keep track of students beyond sixteen and follow them through college and beyond. We have Ladybugs in college and one who is now married with her own family. They are also involved more in sports and other organizations. Some of the mothers have gone back to school and graduated college. Mothers and daughters take life lessons and apply them and this is what’s important. Members teach others what they’ve learned as well. It all started in 2005. I wasn’t looking to do this at all. My nieces loved to hang out and have sleepovers with me and I would always find something interesting for us to do together, whether it was a restaurant or an art project. Well, they started inviting their friends and because I work in the community, people started hearing about it and wanted to know more about it. It started growing and I didn’t know what it was growing into, but I knew it was something. So we were in the kitchen one morning for breakfast when they all spent the night with me and one of the little girls looked at me and said, “Ms. Tonja, this is The Ladybug Club.” I said, “You know what, it’s The Ladybug Club then.” My daughter’s nickname is Ladybug and they had all been around her. So that is how it happened. I knew we needed more structure so we would meet and pray and the moms started meeting as well and helping to organize. It started in Midtown, but we are not limited to Midtown. I’m so glad that we are structured now and things can be delegated. I am just the founder, but we do have a director. If I can’t teach them how to run it without me, it defeats the purpose of one of the core things we are trying to accomplish. We have participated as volunteers in The Good Samaritan 12Ks for the Holidays fundraiser for all nine years that they have hosted the event. We’ve volunteered at museum and exhibit openings, collected toiletry items and box fans for the elderly, cleaned their houses and helped organize their apartments. We volunteer at a lot of nonprofit organizations in the city as well. For us it’s not about the hours, it is about what did you learn about the organization and what did you learn about yourself?

What do you do in your spare time?

I enjoy reading and supporting organizations that focus on reaching underserved members of the community. I also enjoy working with the youth at my church, Jackson Revival Center Church.

What do you have new coming up?

My new book, “Blessed Thirteen: Lessons from a Ladybug” will be released Spring of 2019. It is a book for anyone who wants to start something in the community. There are things they should consider prior to starting. There is value in people giving that type of information. I am going to save people some headaches and tears with this book. There are also personal stories from some of the girls and their mothers, and pictures of them growing up. Currently, we are having a High School Supply Drive that will benefit the English department at Lanier High School. Anyone interested in donating can check out The Ladybug Club’s Facebook page or email us at ladybugclubjxn@gmail.com.

For more information on Tonja Murphy, visit her websitewww.tonjamurphy.com. You can also visit her social media sites: Facebook: facebook.com/authortonjamurphy;

Instagram: @authortonjamurphy

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