Jaleel Ritchwood Jordan, known as “JaRich”, was born on January 21, 1992 to parents Felicia Washington-McKenith, a school security officer and assisted living caregiver and Randy Ritchwood Jordan, an actor and entrepreneur in Newark, NJ. JaRich is a Christian and was raised in the Pentecostal church. He credits this part of his life to his grandparents who on both his mom and dads side were preachers, musicians and faithful members/church goers. He grew up attending Smith Memorial COGIC in Newark, NJ under the leadership of Dr. C.H. Evans (now Bishop Evans). In church, he sang in the Sunshine Band and the Young Adult choir and was a frequent soloist (most times due to the urging and pressuring of his maternal grandmother, Frances Washington). JaRich attended Newark Public Schools from Kindergarten to third grade and it was during this time when he discovered he could sing or had a gift for singing through his then music teacher and first musical mentor, Michelle Montero at Fourteenth Avenue school. His first professional singing performance was under her direction at The Priory Jazz Restaurant in Newark, NJ when he was in the first grade. Being an already AMBITIOUS and DRIVEN kid and now believing he could really sing and learning more of his paternal sides history in music, Jaleel then started acting as his own manager and started booking local shows for himself and his cousin, Desiree Tindell, at local venues such as community centers and city parks and events. This was proving to be a success and no one could believe a kid was negotiating his own deals, advocating for himself and his “group” and getting himself on show programs without an actual manager or official representation. His cousins grandmother, Georgia Tindell (RIP) saw this work ethic and saw that it was really something of potential in what JaRich and his cousin Desiree were doing, especially since they were singing Gospel music and doing something positive. She decided to manage them and be the adult body to speak for them and get them to events booked. The group eventually ended as JaRich and his cousin went on to different schools and started to individually grow into different aspects of life. BUT, HE KEPT ON SINGING!
He graduated from Essex County Vocational Technical Schools- North 13th Street campus in 2010 and then attended college at Centenary University, then College, where he studied Education and Individualized Studies for two and half years, then finished his studies for undergrad at The University Phoenix earning a BS degree in Business and a MBA. During and after college, he began working in education with Newark Public Schools beginning as a teachers aide, one on one aide and then a long term substitute teacher. It was also during this time that JaRich helped his dad manage and operate, Sunny's Cafe, a soul food restaurant in East Orange that he came up with the name for in honor of his paternal grandfather, Rev. Robert “Sonny” Jordan, who loved to have a hot soul food meal ready for you after he preached from his Jersey City apartment on Sundays. During the 2020 Covid Pandemic, he made a leap and took a full time
teaching position as a special needs educator with Marion P. Thomas Charter High School in Newark. This is where he co-founded the Boys to Men mentoring group and continued to grow and develop his skills as a Black male educator teaching children that looked like him and that came from where he came from. He made such a mark while there that he was invited to be a interviewed guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2022, where he was interviewed by co-host and executive producer, Stephen “tWitch” Boss (RIP) and was awarded $10,000 from Tisbest for his community and educational efforts in inner city communities. In the same year, he was also a winner in the New Jersey Public Charter School Association Teacher's Tell Their Story campaign. JaRich is a celebrated and published children's books author, and has made numeous local and national news appearances to highlight his community efforts, non profit organization and music. He is an actor/poet with credits to his name locally and abroad for his work (A Raisin in the Sun, Poetry Outloud, For Colored Brothers (which he co wrote and starred in at the legendary, The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas in 2025)), a singer (his first love), and an all around entrepreneur, with even a men’s fragrance line in the works entitled “Discretion by JaRich” which in 2018 he did a soft launch to rave reviews.
JaRich has been awarded many accolades both professionally and educationally including the Essex County Teamwork Award presented by County Executive, Joseph D. DiVincenzo, while in high school in 2009 for his active contributions and leadership to his school community and the Newark community at large. He has also been awarded and honored for his work within the autism and special needs community, as well as, receiving proclamations and citations from the city of Newark, the city of East Orange, the city of Dallas, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Congresswoman Julie Johnson, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. (RIP), Senator Teresa Ruiz and the New Jersey State Senate, Senator Cory Booker, New Jersey's Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver (RIP) and Governor Phil Murphy and President Joe Biden and AmeriCorps with The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for community service. JaRich debuted his very first full length album, Reflections, in July of 2020 followed by a series of singles to all music digital streaming platforms. His music is considered to be R&B and Soul infused with elements of Gospel (his roots), Funk and Pop. JaRich is the founder and Director of Victim to Victor Outreach which is a non profit organization aiding in the needs and resources for education, homelessness and outreach in urban community settings. He was a member and soloist of the Gospel Chorale (formerly, The Newark Symphony Hall Gospel Chorale) in Newark, NJ under the foundation of Dr. Albert J. Lewis and under the the direction of Prof. Jerry Williams and Dr. Mark Exum. He has sung for many community events including for the Mayor of the city of Newark (Ras J. Baraka). JaRich is currently hard at work in the studio creating more music. He recently moved to Dallas, TX and in 2023 was honored with an honorary doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Organization from Harvest Christian University in Dallas for his long service to public school education.
