Who is Teena and what is her Legacy?
Teena’s Legacy was founded in 2012 by Jamika Smith in honor of her grandmother Alberteen Stredrick (Teena). Jamika was born and raised in Chicago, Il on the southwest side, they both lived in the LeClaire Courts one of Chicago's CHA housing property. Alberteen transition back in 2011, but not without leaving a longlasting impact on Jamika’s life hence motivating her to keep Teena’s legacy alive.
Teena was creative, vibrant and always about her business. She grow up in the town of Pastoria and Sherrill, Arkansas. Shortly after graduating, she went to New York City for vocational training and returned to Arkansas to work on the family farm. She left Arkansas for Chicago at the tender age of 19 in order to earn a better living for her family. Teena held a number of jobs including clerial, domestic, culinary, resale, and factory work. She retired from Leaf Brand Candy Co. where she held a number of position. Teena was an accomplished seamstress and a self-taught interior decorator. She had an creative eye for fashion which resulted in unqiue and stylish clothes; she would model her designs in fashion shows she hosted and coordinated in the basement of her home and different local venues. She also had a gift in restoring and reviving old furniture back to its original glory. Teena believed strongly in self-sufficiency and having your own, her vision for her family was for them to tap into their natural gifts and use them to start their own business and leave a legacy for their children. Jamika her grandaughter is doing just that. Jamika is keeping her grandmother's legacy alive.
Teena's Legacy Mission
Our mission is to provide a soul changing experience, in which young women and women in general becomes architects of their future. We do this by presenting opportunities for economic transformation through the process call “I Transformed My Life,” and the trade of reviving, restoring and reupholstering furniture.
Encouraging and educating women to empower themselves and take ownership of their life is our goal. Because of our commitment to enlighten women to live into their souls this holistic approach has the potential to strengthening themselves their families and transforming the communities which they live.
