06/21/2026
Family League of Baltimore is heartbroken by the passing of Joni Holifield.
Joni was more than a partner in this work — she was one of our own. As the founder of HeartSmiles, she turned her own Baltimore upbringing into a lifelong mission: making sure every young person in this city had access to hope, opportunity, and someone who believed in them. Born from the aftermath of Freddie Gray's death, HeartSmiles became exactly what she envisioned — a place where Baltimore's young people, her "heart beats," could be seen, valued, and supported into becoming strong leaders themselves.
Her partnership with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Youth Advisory Board extended that mission even further, and her impact reached people far beyond our city — including Governor Wes Moore, who called her a friend and praised her commitment to making lives better for all Marylanders.
We are grateful for every year we got to work alongside Joni, and for the countless young lives she changed for the better. Her legacy lives on in every student she mentored and every leader she helped raise up.
Our hearts are with her wife, Sherika; her child, Chauncey; her parents, siblings, and everyone who loved her.
Rest well, Joni. Baltimore is better because of you.
