Meet the woman behind Puyallup’s Two-Way Racial Healing Project, Juneteenth celebrations

Davida Sharpe-Haygood learned the importance of bettering one’s community early on.

Growing up, she was surrounded by people like her mother and “pop-pop.”

Pop-pop was a pastor in her hometown. Sharpe-Haygood said he was a civil, labor rights and social justice activist. Her mother worked for a school district, and she consistently advocated for marginalized students and families, Sharpe-Haygood said.

“Social justice is my way of life,” she said.

Sharpe-Haygood is one of the administrators of a Black Lives Matter Facebook group for Puyallup and South Hill. She joined around the summer of 2020. It has more than 2,000 members as of July 14.

The purpose of the page is to educate and keep members informed on current events, she said. She and others also use it for community organizing purposes and to announce fundraising events, volunteer opportunities or job openings in the area.

Admins and members of the group hosted an event June 10 at Grayland Park to celebrate Juneteenth.

Vendors at the event sold lemonade, cakes, cookies and vegan food. Others sold silk scarves and jewelry. Music played in the background as people danced and spoke with each other. There was a bouncy house for children and there were games, including a giant Connect 4 set.

This year marks the third time Sharpe-Haygood and others have hosted a Juneteenth celebration in Puyallup. When Independence Day was first celebrated in the U.S. not everyone was free, she said. Enslaved African Americans weren’t free until about 90 years later.

“This is our day of freedom,” she said.

The Facebook group is only part of Sharpe-Haygood’s work in the community.

She also created the Two-Way Racial Healing Project (TWRHP). It’s a nonprofit that creates a safe space for people to discuss social justice and systemic racism, among other topics. They hold virtual discussions called “Tough Talks” and partner with local groups.

“She fiercely loves her community,” TWRHP member Colette DeMonte said. “She’s gonna do whatever she can to show up for it.”

Sharpe-Haygood, 45, was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She moved to Washington state in 2002 — she spent a couple of years in Tacoma and moved to Puyallup around 2012.

She has a husband, son and daughter. Her parents and most of her siblings are in Arizona.

Sharpe-Haygood is an associate professor at Pierce College. She joined the college over seven years ago. She teaches education and focuses on early childhood and special education.

She got her bachelor’s degree in business and marketing at Grand Canyon University. She got her master’s degree in early childhood and special education at the University of Arizona Global Campus, formerly known as Ashford University.

Aubrey Barnwell said Sharpe-Haygood is outgoing and assertive. Barnwell, 62, has known her since she was born. He said she was almost like a little sister to him.

Barnwell is a pastor at First New Life Church in Arizona. He also sits on the African American Christian Clergy Coalition. His father, Henry, was Sharpe-Haygood’s pop-pop. He passed away in 2017 at the age of 83.

Barnwell said his father was instrumental in establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Arizona. The state officially recognized the holiday in the 1990s. Sharpe-Haygood was in the “front row” of that process, he said.

“She is an advocate for justice,” Barnwell said.

DeMonte, 37, said she met Sharpe-Haygood about three years ago through a protest in the South Hill area following the murder of George Floyd. Their friendship blossomed after speaking with each other about the goals they have for the community.

DeMonte said Sharpe-Haygood is like an auntie to her kids, and she considers her more of a sister than a friend.

“I just love her spirit,” DeMonte said. “Every time I leave after having time with her, I leave with a smile.”

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Angelica Relente

The News Tribune

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Angelica Relente covers topics that affect communities in East Pierce County. She started as a news intern in June 2021 after graduating from Washington State University. She is also a member of Seattle’s Asian American Journalists Association. She was born in the Philippines and spent the rest of her childhood in Hawaii.