Hello Neighbor: Jasmin Thames

River View Towers is a place that defines the African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child.” 

Jasmin Thames, born and raised in this village, is a shining example of a village working together, caring, protecting and providing a healthy, safe environment for their children to be raised. A tradition Jasmin is proudly continuing to this day. Following in the footsteps of her grandmother, Gennie Eason, who was a community (warrior) activist passing out flyers to any and everyone making them aware of the opportunity for ownership and the ability to raise their children in a new safe environment that at the time was not readily available. 

Dr. Onita Estes-Hicks, another long time River View Towers resident who organized annual Black History Month Read-In Chains for over 20 years and keeps up the aesthetics of the building providing plants and decorations in the lobby, was a main contributor to the most recent co-naming of the corner of 139th and Riverside Drive “Genevieve (Jenny) Eason Way”, a moment Jasmin and her family are especially proud of. Jasmin’s grandmother, her she-ro who was small in stature but big in everything she did, left her with:

“Each one, teach one.”

That’s just what Jasmin is doing. 

She has worked in the President’s office at the City of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice and even followed in her grandmother’s footsteps in civil service working for the great City of New York as a Supervising Probation Officer (her grandmother was a retired Probation Officer). 

Jasmin is currently working as a Letter Carrier for the United States Postal Service, which is a demanding job but she still finds the time to do her part. She engages in the process of ensuring our community holds fair elections by working at the polls on Election Day. Jasmin has also held a position as County Committee member for 5 years. She is Assistant Treasurer of the Committee of Concern and a member of the Election Committee of River View Towers. Jasmin’s extensive experience in law and government has given her keen insight into the issues facing her community as well as the processes by which to improve them. Jasmin strives to ensure that her neighborhood’s interests are protected and the collective voices are heard. 

Jasmin is also a retired DJ who fuels her passion for music by volunteering to spin for building functions on occasion and enjoys partying with her long time friends in the building and she always remembers birthdays. 

There has been an amazing amount of important work done in maintaining River View Towers over the years. Jasmin understands that being on a committee is not equivalent to success. She’s finding it valuable to share openly with the residents her discomfort with the system, her vision of a new start, and her personal responsibility to make a difference. Jasmin has come to understand that there is, throughout this process and almost any other worthy effort, a common and layered cycle that with: 

Conviction, 

Commitment, and 

Courage 

you can accomplish anything. 

THE VILLAGE LIVES ON