I began my career at PWSA as a part-time Customer Service Representative, working my way up to become a Senior Collections Coordinator in the Authority. A position in Management for an African American woman would have never been possible without that day in history that released enslaved Americans. In 1865 two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, those Americans that look like me, skin complexion, hair texture, eyes, lips, were told that they were free. This is something to be celebrated, although ownership of other human beings should have never been tolerated.

The recognizing of Juneteenth as a Federal holiday signed into law in 2021, speaks to my heart in a way that I would only describe as looking into the eyes of a newborn child. It’s the birth of hope and a new day for a country that I have felt at times didn’t see those that look like me as important. As a mother of three, and a grandmother, my children and their children can celebrate this day in history for generations to come. The recognition of Juneteenth by the United States for me will forever be a path to a new light on America.

Nicole Tarver
Senior Collections Coordinator