Edelia "Dr. Jay" Carthan, a former teenage mom, is currently President & CEO of Carthan Enterprises, Inc., and The Fabulous Life Ministries and serves as Assistant Professor in the Division of Education, Supervision, and Instruction at the historic Tougaloo College. She self-published her first book last year entitled, “From Fear to Freedom: The 7 Key Elements for a Fabulous Life which is now in 17 libraries including all 14 branches of Jackson/Hinds Libraries. Her book is featured in the Mississippi Room among writers such as Richard Wright, Eudora Welty and William Faulkner.
Dr. Jay earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Educational Technology (2000) and a Master of Science in Technology Education (2002) and recently Dr. Jay became the youngest person to receive the Doctor of Education degree (2007) in Early Childhood Education from Jackson State University. Learning of this feat, Dr. Jay was recognized with a resolution issued by Senator John Horhn and Lieutenant Governor Amy Tuck. She was also featured on the cover of the Jacksonian Magazine entitled, “Young Ph.Ds” and has appeared in over 21 television series such as HawthoRNe, House, Bones, CSI: NY, Numbers, and played a reoccurring student on NBC’s Community. . Dr. Jay hosts The Fabulous Life radio show on WMPR 90.1 on Tuesdays from 6:00pm-6:30pm. The purpose of her radio show is to motivate and inspire people especially youth to live out their purpose and be who God created them to be.
Dr. Jay is very involved in her community. Currently, she is a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Clinton (MS) Alumnae Chapter. She is a 2008 graduate of Leadership Greater Jackson Class and is a 2010 graduate of the Fannie Lou Hamer Institute on Citizenship and Democracy, and is President of the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation Childhood Obesity Project. In 2012, Dr. Jay was appointed by Governor Phil Bryant to his Blue Ribbon Task Force, "Healthy Teens for a Better Mississippi" to curb the teen pregnancy rate in Mississippi. Dr. Jay founded an annually all girl Christian camp called Camp Fabulous, which empowers and inspires young girls ages 7 -17. Dr. Jay's goal is to teach and inspire young minds throughout Mississippi, the United States and abroad. She is a native of Tchula, Mississippi where her father Dr. Eddie James Carthan was elected the first Black Mayor. She has one son, "EJ" graduated from Southwest Community College and now attends the University of Arkansas at Monticello on a full athletic scholarship.