After losing her daughter, Jade, to gun violence at a Halloween party, Joyce Bailey has turned her tragedy into purpose.
The Love Angel Scholarship Foundation allows youth to showcase their talents, compete and earn scholarships. The foundation began as Jade’s clothing brand, Love Angel, but her mother has since transformed it into an organization that gives back to youth in Hattiesburg.
“Love Angel came from Jade, which was her baby, which was her clothing line. So right after she passed, it just came naturally that Love Angel was going to represent who Jade was,” Bailey said.
Jade was killed on Oct. 29, 2023, while attending a Halloween party where gunfire broke out between multiple gunmen. She was caught in the crossfire while trying to escape.
She was 21 years old and a student at Pearl River Community College at the time of her death. Jade was a daughter, sister, granddaughter and child of God.
Bailey said Jade never met a stranger and spread love to everyone she met.
“One thing that I can truly, honestly say, Jade had a heart of gold. She never met a stranger,” she said. “She had a lot of love to give. She gave us a lot of love, and she gave us a lot of sass, which I miss all of it.”
Jade received a choir scholarship from PRCC, and now her parents give back to the program in her honor. Bailey said that giving back and maintaining the foundation helps her define who Jade truly was.
“Jade’s name was attached to such horrible things, and that did not embody who Jade was. So it is important for me as her mother to redefine who my daughter is,” she said.
Along with their work through the foundation, Jade’s parents said they will never stop seeking justice for her. Her father, Dewayne Bailey, said he is disappointed with how society has failed young people.
“I feel like our society has failed to protect our youth,” he said. “Like my wife said, we’re not going to stop until the individuals responsible are held accountable.”
After the shooting, five people were arrested and later released. The family continues to hope for justice while practicing forgiveness.
Dewayne encourages young adults to be aware of their surroundings and stay safe when going out.
Joyce said there are no limits to what she hopes to achieve with the foundation.
“I want to be able to touch more individuals. I want to be able to give more scholarships. I want to really be able to bless our young adults,” she said.
Bailey plans to continue growing the foundation for as long as she can. Each year since Jade’s death, she has hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition. Next, she plans to host a pageant and possibly a Mother’s Day event.
The Baileys want Jade to be remembered for her kind heart and “her smile that could light your day.”
