I’m Japera (jah-per-ay) Hemming, a proud and active member of the East Point community. I’ve lived here nearly a decade with my husband and three step daughters, who graduated or are currently attending Tri-Cities High School. As a parent, I’m running for City Council to help build a city our children’s children can forever call home!
I stand on the strength of love, dignity, and purpose. My parents taught me that real leadership means showing up for others— not for praise— but to serve. I learned that pride isn’t found in titles, but in being someone people can trust. And that trust must be earned and protected. My parents instilled in me and my siblings that government should make life better; and if it’s not, it’s our job to step up and help fix it.
Those lessons shaped not just who I am, but what I’m committed to fighting for: housing that keeps legacy rooted, wise spending that delivers on promises, and strong support for children and families.
In 1988, my father retired from the New York City Police Department and relocated our family from Queens, NY to Richmond, VA, guided by my mother’s deep belief in the power of education. She wanted us to live near good schools, have a yard where we could play safely, and be part of a community that would help shape who we became. As a 911 operator, she understood that where you live matters, not just the house, but the neighborhood, the schools, and the people around you.
As I got older, I began to understand the sacrifices my parents made for our future, working overtime, picking up extra jobs, cleaning buildings late at night, doing whatever it took to keep up with the mortgage and maintain our home.
Like many families in the early 2000s, they refinanced our home to pull out equity, not fully realizing the risk of an adjustable-rate mortgage. When the payments ballooned, we were caught in the eye of a financial storm. Despite everything they gave, we lost our home of 27 years, just 18 months after my father passed.
Losing our home felt like losing a piece of our family’s legacy. I know what it’s like to pack up a lifetime of hopes and memories, things that feel priceless to you, but look like trash to someone else. That’s why I carry such a deep conviction about protecting housing in East Point that keeps families rooted. No one should have to see everything their loved ones built fall apart.
Our struggles didn’t break me; they pushed me forward. They taught me how to work through systems I didn’t understand, to ask hard questions, and to look for real, lasting solutions. They taught me to stand up for what matters and help others do the same.
This drive led me to earn degrees from Spelman College and the University of Georgia, where I built a strong foundation in public policy, equity, and systems change.
Over the past decade, I’ve put that knowledge to work, directly managing over $18 million in funding to support education, health, and economic opportunity. I’ve helped cities, nonprofits, and institutions drive change, always focused on the people these systems are meant to serve.
Whether I’m building programs, researching policy, or fighting for resources, my focus is the same: make sure families like mine aren’t left behind. I carry my parents’ determination with me every step of the way, and I will boldly carry it with me into East Point City Hall.
