ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

LEADERSHIP

Judith Black Moore, President

Judith Black Moore is president of Tarik Black Foundation/Taking Back The Future©.

Her marketing and communications career spans over 30 years. In addition to serving as the director of communications for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for 14 years, she has held key positions in the public sector, for-profit and non-profit organizations including First Tennessee Bank, Memphis City Schools, International Paper Co., Memphis Light Gas Water, National Civil Rights Museum and Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. This background provides her the experience and network needed to lead an organization that engages the community to help young people positively design their destiny.

Judith is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University (formerly Clark College). She holds a B. A. in journalism and an MBA in Marketing. She is Vice President, Public Relations for Carter Malone Group, Ethics Chair for Memphis Public Relations Society of America, a member of the Alliance of Black-led nonprofits, and a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Susan Tappan Black, Director of Programs

Prior to Tarik Black Foundation, Susan served as Family Engagement Specialist for Brewster Elementary where she planned and implemented family support programs. Her background also includes parent counseling, admissions counselor for Job Corps and working as an administrative assistant for Juvenile Court. She is founder of M. A. N. – U. P. (Mentoring And Nurturing Unlimited Potential in boys), an organization that grooms boys to become successful men. Susan holds an M. A. is Psychology, B. S. in Social Work and A.A.S. in Human Services. She is a certified Anger Management Specialist and a member of the National Anger Management Association.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Li Kong, Chairman

Mortgage Broker, Carey, NC

Li Kong has over 15 years of international mortgage consulting experience. At Ivy Mortgage, she specializes in helping clients customize their mortgage plan to suit their financial objectives. Li also coordinates development projects that support research at Duke University where her husband is a prominent scientist. She earned a law degree in China and worked for Zhongnan Economy and Law College as a legal aid, a program sponsored by the Ford Foundation in the United States. Early in her career she worked as a volunteer in the Legal Aid Bureau in Baltimore, MD helping low-income citizens obtain legal assistance.

Bruque Argaw, Secretary

Sterling Heights, MI

Bruque is an automotive engineer for General Motors (GM). She is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a degree in Civil Engineering and holds a Masters in Global Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Michigan. Bruque is no stranger to Memphis. She attended Snowden Elementary and Middle School while living in the city as a child. A recipient of GM’s Women of Color STEAM Rising Star Award, she has a special interest in young Women of Color pursuing tech careers. For TBF, she serves as a consultant to Taking Back The Future© leading the development of tech awareness programming.

Muriel Hepburn, Treasurer

Atlanta, GA

Muriel Hepburn’s career includes serving as vice president with Equifax, Inc. and Deputy Director for the National Black Arts Festival, Inc. Currently, an instructor at Atlanta Metropolitan State College she is committed to excellence in financial education. This commitment drives her ongoing passion for helping individuals develop a financially successful life plan. For years as a financial business consultant, she provided financial accounting and income tax services to small business and individuals. Ms. Hepburn has also served in leadership positions in Georgia’s Fulton County School System. At this stage in her career, her desire is to make a difference in the lives of others by actively mentoring children and adults.

Moreno McCalpin

Winsor Hills, CA

A native Memphian, Central High School graduate Moreno McCalpin is pleased to give back to the community where he grew up. With a B. S. in Biology from Lane College, he is an accomplished chemist whose career includes stints at chemical companies in Memphis, Atlanta, and California. Moreno has a passion for helping the city’s youth and is especially interested in seeing more Black youth become interested in STEM careers. After growing up in Memphis and now having experienced living and working in other cities gives him an open perspective on the impact limited access to resources, lack of exposure to successful role models and generational poverty can make overcoming challenges for some Memphis youth to succeed. TBF provides an avenue for him to remain connected to his hometown and offer insight for training the next generation. Moreno is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

Jennifer McDaniel

Soul Abode, Co-Founder, Dallas, TX

Jennifer McDaniel is a certified professional coach, well-being strategist and a founder of Soul Abode, a company providing well-care solutions to optimize well-being for women of color. She has over 25 years of experience as a professional speaker, corporate trainer and a learning development leader in the beauty, health, and wellness industry. Jennifer is a graduate of IIN (Institute for Integrative Nutrition) where she studied over 100 different dietary theories for building optimum health and wellness from the inside out. She received her professional coach training from IPEC, where she is trained in Core Energy Coaching™. Jennifer is credentialed as an Associate Certified Coach through The International Coach Federation (ICF).

Martin Washington

Augusta, GA

Martin Washington is a native Memphian who after spending his youth growing up in the city understands its unique culture and the challenges TBF looks to address. A graduate of Central High School, Martin has a diverse background which includes nuclear engineering, project management and real estate development. He holds an MBA degree from the University of South Carolina and a BS in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Martin currently serves as Chief Financial Officer for Property Brothers and Sisters Holdings. TBF board membership keeps him actively involved with Memphis. As a real estate developer, he is interested in young people understanding how to start early creating wealth. His engineering background leads him to also want more Black youth in tech careers, whether working for a company or better yet, starting tech companies.