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Chardaé Jones

@justdae

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Writer. | Advocate & #ProfessionalVolunteer | Author | Braddock Councilwoman | @fficoop @braddockartcrawl

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If believing in myself is delusional, I'm delusional all 2026 and beyond. 2025 doesn't owe me a thing but I'm betting on myself all 2026. I love writing down goals because it's affirmational for me. Can't call it inspirational either if I have all the tools to make the things I want, happen. Only watering what I want to grow this year. 🌿 🌿 🌿

Just a woman who loves to leap toward adventure. Comfort zones, "I don't know her." Magic, I believe in that. I love convincing my close friends to follow their dreams. Councilwoman. Braddock's Biggest Cheerleader. Halloween isn't a season it's a feeling. My grandma was southern so cooking is my fav. My pappy instilled reading the news every morning into my personality and I just can't stop. If hope is delusional, count me in! ✌🏿 🌎 ❤️ #pittsburgh #bookstagram #civicchic #motivationquotes taken in Braddock, Pennsylvania by @justdae

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9 months ago

ＵｎＡｍｅｒｉｃａｎ

One day, future generations will look at all the things happening right now and question how everyone could be so naive. How we read in our history books about Germany and pretended to be so blind about history happening in the present day? How did we allow the government to get so far right that it went wrong? To see American children in tears and fear that masked men who don't have the courage to show their faces go neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city and kidnap people who have grown roots here, picked our food, and have done nothing wrong beyond being born with brown skin? "It's not the same," some will say. "It's not a concentration camp," and "these people were criminals." It will be too late by the time that the majority of Americans realize that we allowed democracy to fall. The people in charge let racism, fascism, and sexism run amuck. Narcissism, boy is it the strangest drug.

How UnAmerican to claim that one needs to be born on US Soil to be American. Most of us weren't here when the Mayflower arrived lost in the United States to pillage and assault the Native Americans. And not soon after came the slaves that were ripped from their home countries in chains and forced to build the very house where the president stays. We don't talk about those parts of history nowadays.

Something in my soul hurts watching the prisoners guilty of nothing more than having darker skin, being marched into concentration camps in modern day. This feels like a war crime on American soil. America is deporting anyone while allowing its real problems to fester. The literacy rate is supbar, the Healthcare system is so bizarre that one might die in a parking lot of where a hospital once was because they're poor and their elected official opted to give themselves tax cuts. Some of the people in these neighborhoods even voted for their own demise, "he's a billionaire," there was nothing else to discuss. People voted for this admin because they weren't like us.

Want to read this entire poem? Check it out on my blog omgitsjustdae.com. If you like this poetry check out my book American Hurt, available on Amazon #bookstgram #pittsburgh #412fresh #poetryofinstagram taken in Braddock, Pennsylvania by @justdae

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a year ago

Call time was 5:30 AM. First day of helping produce a project on amazing people that build community in Braddock. This is going to be such a journey. taken in Braddock, Pennsylvania by @justdae

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a year ago

Both free fridges are full of goodies like onions, peppers, corn, salads, lettuce and even tomatoes. Don't forget about the pantries. The food at the Battlefield Musuem goes quickly. A lot of people don't know what the free fridge in Braddock looks like. It's located at 300 Holland Ave at Greater Valley Community Services. It's in the very back of the parking lot to the right of the beautiful garden. Take what you need. Leave what you don't. Have a wonderful Friday. 🫑 🫑 🫑 #braddock #community #412fresh taken in Greater Valley Community Services, Inc. by @justdae

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21 hours ago

Aye! To us making it to playoffs. We didn't win the championship, but we played like champs. What a great thing to do on a Monday night. ✌🏿 🌎 ❤️ #kickball #photography #pittsburgh #412fresh taken in Dilworth Field Mt Washington by @justdae

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2 days ago

My favorite hot dog is a Chicago Dog. Had an accountabestie meeting with @lishdanielle yesterday and @ds6pax is always a good idea. 🌭 🌭 🌭 #foodstagram #pittsburgh #photography taken in D's Six Pax & Dogz by @justdae

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2 days ago

One of my fav photos I took of my doggo on a walk. I can't believe that it will be six years of chaos with pup pup. 🐶 🐶 🐶 #puppygram #huskypuppy #pittsburgh #braddock taken in Braddock, Pennsylvania by @justdae

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4 days ago

Soo @shortysxwaterfront has a new menu and these deep fried pierogis with Old Bay seasoning on it, tasted like heaven. I could've devoured two plates of this. I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu. I also loved the Almost Potato Patch fries because they taste like how the old Potato Patch fries used to taste. The staff were so polite and attentive. 10/10 no notes. taken in The Waterfront by @justdae

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4 days ago

This weekend was full of fun. Spent my Friday at the Monthly Braddock Art Crawl. Looked at some amazing art and then hosted a kickball bday party at my house and then rode the ferris wheel on the bridge. 10/10 vibes. taken in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by @justdae

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4 days ago

In theory this pretzel chicken Sammie was delish. Being practical, the pretzel fell a part. This chicken sandwich by itself was 15 American Dollars at Oktoberfest. #foodstagram #foodies #pittsburgh #412fresh taken in Market Square, Pittsburgh by @justdae

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7 days ago

When people ask me why I like living in Braddock beyond growing up here, I tell them my grandparents had roots here. My grandfather owned an auto shop and a house here. But also, it's the community that keeps me. During the pandemic, a bunch of us got together and created a system where drivers dropped off food from the food banks to people's porches because they didn't have cars, and people signed up to be drivers every week.

This is the same place where a group of youth came to council with a grant that they already applied for to fix the basketball court and paint a mural on it. They had their proposal ready and everything.

This is the same place that, when we didn't have power for a week, three of us drove around with bags of food from the Red Cross, dropping them on people's doors.

Or a stranger stopping you, asking you if you wanted a dozen eggs for free because they wouldn't fit in the free fridge.

So when people say, 'it's a bad community," I say, "sure, some of the buildings are." Braddock is more than its buildings. It's the people that pull up their sleeves to help the neighbor that they don't even know get food on their plate. Or the stranger who fixes bikes, allowing you to borrow one of his. I can't think of anywhere else with people like this.

It's 1900 people in less than a square mile that help each other when they don't find other people to do so. I love the resourcefulness of this community and will always stand by that.

#betonbraddock #pittsburgh #photography taken in Braddock, Pennsylvania by @justdae

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10 days ago

If you're ever in need of food, there are two free fridges in the Braddock area. One at 300 Holland Ave at Greater Valley in the very back of the parking lot and one at the Braddock Battlefield Museum in North Braddock. Thanks to the church it is refilled every Friday around 4:30-5:00 PM. It's always free and take what you need. After all, a community is only as great as how they treat their neighbor. #braddock taken in Braddock, Pennsylvania by @justdae

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11 days ago