Covenant House Newsroom

From Harriet Tubman to John Lewis to Barack Obama, Black History Month is a reminder for our community to reflect on the positive contributions and the rich and valuable history of generations of people who are Black, and to celebrate those making history today like Stacey Abrams and Amanda Gorman.  

Covenant House is proud to stand with the Black and African American leaders who have left their mark in history, especially those who have fought for justice, equality and policy change fueled by the belief that no young person should ever be homeless. 

During Black History Month, we’ll use our platform to honor the devotion and spirit of Black leaders working and volunteering in the Covenant House community, and we’ll feature stories of creative and resilient young people whose voices will shape the future. Leaders like Angela Jones Hackley of Covenant House Greater Washington.

Angela Jones Hackley became chief executive officer at Covenant House Greater Washington in late 2019, and while the role is new for her, her awareness about youth facing homelessness dates back to early in her career, when she found herself working in the nonprofit sector.

She grew up in the historic Anacostia neighborhood of southeast Washington, D.C., and always felt grounded by her community, which was 99% African American. Her neighbors were a part of the working class, and there was a sense of belonging all around her. Being immersed in Black culture gave her confidence: she read Maya Angelou and learned about Frederick Douglas, whose historic home was across the street from her school. She actually had no idea that racial equality was a topic for discussion because it never showed up in her day-to-day.

It was not until she arrived at college, a state university just two hours south of her home, that she experienced racial discrimination for the first time. It was a predominantly white school and she was targeted for being Black. It was then that her journey to racial equity began, and she dove into her studies as an urban planning and policy major, so she could become a community changemaker. Upon graduation, she was awarded a coveted Peace Corps assignment, but she found herself back home in Washington because her mother was ill. 

With a brand new degree in policy and an immense desire to become immersed in a community that had been underserved, Angela accepted a position at Planned Parenthood teaching reproductive health and supporting the public affairs department. She loved direct service, but after seven years, she found herself ready to take on policy change at a more influential level. She joined DC Action for Children and became a lobbyist, and she worked on many youth-led advocacy initiatives. It was at this time when she met Vince Gray, the founding executive director of Covenant House Washington (as it was known in 1994).

After rising through the ranks at several agencies, there was one where she really built a name for herself. She was brought in to right-size the organization and, instead, dissolved it because of what she uncovered: financial instability, poor oversight, lack of leadership, and theft. This gave Angela a chance to reset her personal commitments to her community and find a way back to direct service where her leadership could also have a tangible impact. She first made her way to Wayfinder, an organization promoting women-led activism, but two years later, she got the call from a recruiter that led her to Covenant House Greater Washington, an organization she admired since her time lobbying with Vince Gray.

So, here she is, back in her community east of the river, where she is able to lean heavily on relationships she’s built around Washington, in the last 30 years as well as on the knowledge she’s gained working in policy, public affairs, direct service, and administration. 

“It’s always been about community,” says Angela. “African Americans have survived and thrived because of community. Ours is not an individualistic culture.  We believe that everyone can and should achieve success, and we can help each other make it happen.”

 Angela knows that young people who come to Covenant House need community. “The young people who come to us are resilient, and strong, and filled with great spirit. By providing community, a feeling of confidence and belonging, we have the honor of walking with our young people and celebrating their lives.”