What To Know
- Sheinelle Jones announced the death of her beloved 96-year-old grandmother, Josephine Vonceal Pace Brown, seven months after the death of her husband.
- Brown was a pioneering educator, the first Black woman elected to the Wichita board of education, a classically trained pianist, and founder of the ARISE spirituals ensemble, leaving a legacy of advocacy and music.
- Jones reflected on her grandmother’s profound influence on her life and career.
Sheinelle Jones is mourning another death in her family as she prepares to become the cohost of the newly-renamed Today With Jenna & Sheinelle.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, January 3, Jones announced that 96-year-old grandmother suddenly died on New Year’s Eve.
“Anyone who knows me knows that ‘Grandmama’ Josephine Vonceal Pace Brown was my world — my best buddy, my confidante, and my unapologetic cheerleader,” Jones wrote in her post. “In time, I’ll share the stories of how her advocacy changed the trajectory of my education, and how she ‘lit up’ when I told her in fifth grade that I wanted to be a news reporter.”
Jones explained that Brown had a high standard of excellence but believed in Jones and affirmed the future NBC News star when she put in the work.
Plus, Brown had a “highly successful” life herself, Jones recounted: “Long before I was born, she was the first black woman elected to the board of education [in Wichita, Kansas]. She was notoriously tough, and everyone knew it. Her mission: to make education equitable for all children. She was also a classically trained pianist and was the director of the music ministry at my church for as long as I can remember. The joke was that if you couldn’t sing, ‘Jo Brown’ would pull a good voice out of you somehow!”
In 1988, Brown founded the African-Americans Renewing Interest in Spirituals Ensemble, or ARISE, for short. “I grew up listening to traditional spirituals… songs passed down from our ancestors… they sang of struggle, love, faith, resilience and triumph,” Jones told Instagram followers. “Those hymns are embedded in my DNA. To this day, that choir continues to perform. They’ve been everywhere over the last year, from Paris to Washington, DC.”
And Jo and her husband, Val Brown — a long-serving and beloved doctor in Wichita —“exemplified what it means to squeeze the most out of life and to give,” Jones wrote.
Jo’s death came seven months after Jones’ husband, Uche Ojeh, died from brain cancer at age 45. “Life is so precious, and I can’t help but to be changed by the last year and a half,” Jones wrote in her post on Saturday. “Heaven has gained a new choir director, and our family — a new angel.”
In the accompanying photo slideshow, Brown shared a snapshot of Jo with Ojeh, calling them her “forever angels.” She also posted a photo of herself and Ojeh with Jo and Brown on her and Ojeh’s wedding day, calling it “a day I’ll forever cherish.”
Today With Jenna & Sheinelle, Weekdays Starting Monday, January 12, 10a/9c, NBC
