Meet Jo-Jo…

Thank you for your interest in the Joseph C. Howard, III Scholastic/Artistic Award fund. I am Pastor Rose Howard and I established this award in memory of my son, Joseph C. Howard, III, who died tragically in a car accident at the age of 12 years old on December 26, 1997.

Joseph affectionately known as “Jo-Jo,” was a very humble Christian youth with an unquenchable passion for the medium of visual arts, particularly sketching. For years leading up to his death, Jo-Jo showed great promise as an artist. He even sought to reflect his personal relationship with Jesus Christ through his extraordinary artistic talent. His greatest inspiration was another family artist, my younger brother, Louis B. Anderson, Jr., who spent several hours each week helping Jo-Jo perfect his craft. It was not unusual for Joseph to periodically induct new members into our family in the form of his own created action figures and cartoon characters. Other talented artists who inspired Jo-Jo included his 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Yolanda Burton, a god-uncle, Elimu Baraki Lenard; a church member, Wanda Shaw, and a famous Christian artist, Henry O. Tanner. Click here to learn more about Jo-Jo.