Janelle Wood

Janelle Wood earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Arizona State University in 1989 and her Master of Arts degree in Biblical Leadership from Phoenix Seminary in 2005. She has always had a heart for those in need and a passion to build up the people within her community.

She has been married for 30+ years and is the proud mother of one adult son. Janelle’s passion is to ensure all Black children have the opportunity to live out their God-given purpose, free from the threat of systems, laws, policies, procedures and practices that limit and control the movement of their Black bodies.

Janelle is the Founder/CEO of the Black Mothers Forum, Inc., founded in August 2016, a nonprofit organization of black mothers who have come together to end the bloodshed in the Black community; dismantle the school to prison pipeline; and restore the strength, dignity and hope of the Black community. She strongly believes in parental choice and children should be able to pursue their educational endeavors in safe and supportive learning environments.

Janelle led the way for her organization to be named one of the 2022 YASS Prize Semi-Finalists. She was one of the leading advocates for the passing of Arizona’s Universal ESA program signed into law in August 2022. She most recently published her first book, Anatomy of a Black Mother. She has served on many councils, committees, taskforces and panels. Through her work, Black Mothers Forum Micro Schools (opened in January 2021).