Summarization of Organizing Experience13+ years campus and community organizing
Supervising and mentoring organizers
Mentoring students and community leaders interested in developing careers in movement work
Recruiting, training, mobilizing, and managing volunteers
Leading and overseeing all forms of direct-action
Leading and overseeing issue and state legislative campaigns
Organizing ballot initiative signature collections via door canvassing and specified locations
Recruiting for, editing others’, and giving/submitting written and oral testimonies at state legislative bill hearings and city council meetings
Producing, distributing, and converting issue messaging into traditional and social media formats with original images
Compiling, editing/providing feedback on, publishing, and overseeing the publishing of LTE’s, OP-EDs, and blog posts
Forming partnerships and building coalitions with community and movement leaders
(Co)organizing and facilitating collaborative learning spaces to advance social justice issues
Representing and speaking on behalf of organizations and groups to movement partners, community leaders, public officials, legislative bodies, media sources, funders, and the public
Garnering donations and funding from campaign success and funder relationships
Fundraising via membership recruitment, door canvassing, banquets, silent auctions, social media content, and a charity shop
Writing and submitting grants, as well as developing budgets and tracking/reporting deliverables
Reviewing project submissions and awarding financial support
ORGANIZING PHILOSOPHY (abridged)When organizing our communities we must prioritize increasing diversity at every level of leadership, employing systemic and interpersonal solutions derived from and continually evaluated by those most directly impacted, and building sustainable coalitions. Intersectional approaches are necessary to address and dismantle the intersectional oppressions and forms of dominance that keep most people excluded from the benefits of society.
Our work is more effective when communities not only understand why certain strategies and tactics are chosen, but get to lead the way on the development of strategies, tactics, and proposed solutions.
Organizing communities must be deeply rooted in relationship building because this work requires a deep level of trust that is difficult to muster in a society built on lies, slavery, and genocide; one that continues to forcefully enact lies and violence at every turn.
ORGANIZING EXPERIENCE
Cofounder and Convener
Mid-MO Repro (Mid-Missouri Reproductive Justice Coalition), Columbia, MO
September 2022 - Present
Work on and financially support local and state-based reproductive rights, health, and justice initiatives
Create recruitment and participation opportunities to increase community involvement
Education & Membership Chair
Missouri HIV Justice Coalition
December 2019 - April 2021
Oversee membership recruitment and involvement
Organize and oversee educational in-person and online opportunities
Cofounder and Convener
Feminist Consciousness-Raising Group, Columbia, MO
August 2019 - December 2020
Monthly convening of community leaders for a topic-specific discussion led by one or more members
Recruitment Director
Missouri Organizer’s BIPOC Racial Caucus
January 2019 - May 2020
Oversee membership recruitment and involvement
Co-Organizer
St. Louis March for Black Women and Marketplace
September 2017 – September 2018
Assisted with garnering speakers and securing vendors
Created and shared digital graphics, recorded march, and shared content on social media
Senior Vice President of Research and Movement Building/Senior Movement Building and Research Manager/Movement Building and Research Manager/Senior Outreach Producer/Missouri Organizer
Reproaction Education Fund, Remote
March 2017 - June 2024
Supervised remote project organizer
Prioritized relationship building to form partnerships and build coalitions with movement and community leaders
Developed movement-building strategies, produced educational traditional and social media content, (co)organized events, and spoke with the media to encourage public engagement, strategic partnerships, donations, and funder support
Created and facilitated direct-action, leadership, and movement building trainings and workshops
Created, launched, and led campaigns requiring budget/financial management and deliverable reports
Organized virtual and in-person direct actions, which included acquiring media coverage for issues like birth control and abortion access, maternal and infant mortality, and decriminalizing HIV
Recruited, mobilized, and managed volunteers for all forms of direct action
Collaboratively defined and developed the organization’s strategic plan based on community needs and organizational priorities
Met with elected officials and/or their policy/legislative teams
Board Cochair/Organizer/Human Resource Enhancement Consultant
GRO – Grass Roots Organizing, Columbia, MO
August 2011 – July 2015
Co-led board meetings, hired new Executive Director, and recruited new board members
Worked on economic and environmental justice campaigns that included eliminating student loan debt, protecting and expanding social security and Medicaid, and addressing climate change and pollution
Organized direct actions and ballot initiative signature collections
Fundraised via door canvassing, phone banks, the annual banquet, and the recruitment of new members
Registered people to vote
Met with elected officials and/or their policy/legislative teams
Provided tax counseling as an IRS-trained volunteer through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program
Assisted the Executive Director with increasing program and human resource capacity
Campus Organizer
University of Missouri-Columbia
August 2011 - September 2016
Cofounder | MU Policy Now – a graduate and professional student group who composed and presented student policies to the Board of Curators; most notably known for leading the campaign resulting in Dr. Michael A. Middleton’s selection as Interim System President during a student uprising
Cofounder | Mizzou Social Justice Collaborative – a student group created by and composed of undergraduate and graduate student leaders tasked with creating calls to action and student demands
Cofounder | The Coalition of Graduate Workers – a multi-year graduate employee led effort that culminated into the university-recognized graduate employee union
Board Member | ABGPS – a graduate and professional student organization that most notably fundraised $2000 to purchase a community marker to commemorate the 1926 lynching of James T. Scott; 2016 recipient of the Chancellor’s Excellence Award for Most Outstanding Small Organization
Cofounder | GRO Mizzou – an undergraduate and graduate student grassroots organizing organization that most notably advocated against student luxury housing that displaced trailer park residents; Our proposal for an up to $3000 grant to each displaced family from the developers became a city ordinance
(CO)-ORGANIZED PANELS AND PRESENTATIONS2025
Black Women and the Reproduction of Labor panel with Dr. Ibitola Pearce | Dr. Brittany Fatoma, Dr. Ibitola Pearce, and Dr. Evonnia Woods | Black History Month Event | Black Studies Department at the University of Missouri-Columbia
2024
Key Updates with Mid-MO Repro panel | Sarah Ehrhard Reid-DHSS, Mallory Schwarz-Abortion Action Missouri, Molly Housh Gordon-MMRJC, Cecilia Belser-Patton-Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, and Alison Dreith-Midwest Access Coalition | Mid-Missouri Reproductive Justice Coalition | Unitarian Universalist Church-Columbia
Queering Spaces of Social Action: Integrating Teaching, Research, and Activism for Radical Inclusion panel with Dr. Heather Hlavka | Dr. Ester Hernandez-Medina, Rachael Lorenzo-Indigenous Women Rising, Dr. Evonnia Woods | Sociologists for Women in Society’s Winter Meeting-Albuquerque
2023
2021
Movement Building Discussion Panel Series (online)
Myth-Busting to Address Racial Health Disparities panel (online)
HIV is a Racial Justice Issue panel (online)
2020
Centering Community in Health Care Practices panel with Abby Buckhouse-Generate Health STL | Kneeshe Parkinson, M’Evie Mead-Planned Parenthood, Brittany “Tru” Kellman-Jamaa Birth Village, Mia Daugherty, Michelle Trupiano-Missouri Family Health Council | Harrison Center at St. Louis Community College
Policing Parenthood panel (online)
Examining Black Women’s Health at the Intersection of HIV, IPV, and the Criminal Legal System panel (online)
Criminalizing Our Existence panel (online)
2019
HIV Stigma, Discrimination, and the Law panel | Dr. Michelle Teti and Cale Mitchell-Spectrum Health Care | University of Missouri-Columbia
Black Women in Activism: Addressing Racial Health Disparities panel | Felicia Anunoby-Mid-Missouri Black Nurses Association, Alicia Edwards-Building Community Bridges, Evonnia Woods | Lincoln University-Jefferson City
Black Women in Activism: Addressing Racial Health Disparities panel | Jannis Evans, Brittany Ferrell, Justice Gatson-Reale Justice Network, Brittani “Tru” Kelllman-Jamaa Birth Village, Dr. Ibitola Pearce | Black History Month Event | Women’s Center at University of Missouri-Columbia
Black Women in Activism: Practicing Intersectionality panel | Kristian Blackmon, Ashli Bolden-Missouri Jobs with Justice, Brittany “Tru” Kellman-Jamaa Birth Village, State Rep. Cora Faith Walker, Kendra Tatum-Organization for Black Struggle, and Jennifer Disla | Jamaa Birth Village-Ferguson
“The Naked Truth: Death by Delivery” film screening | Heather Thompson-Elephant Circle, Dr. Cathleen Appelt-Duquesne University, Deidre Johnson-The Center for African American Health | Sociologists for Women in Society’s Winter Meeting-Denver
Supporting People Living with HIV and AIDS panel (online)
2018
“Jackson” film screening | Columbia, Ferguson, Kansas City
Discussing Immigration Beyond Reform panel with Alex Martinez-Kansas/Missouri Dream Alliance, Diana Martinez Quintana-Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation, and Justice Gatson-ACLU-MO | Alex Martinez, Diana Martinez-Quintana, and Pamela Merritt-Reproaction | Kansas City Public Library: Lucile H. Bluford Branch
“The Naked Truth: Death by Delivery” film screening | Kansas City, Jefferson City, Springfield
2017
Taking Action on Maternal and Infant Mortality panel (online)
“The Naked Truth: Death by Delivery” film screening | Columbia, Jefferson City, Charleston, Ferguson
INVITED TALKS
2022
Post Roe Conversation: How To Turn Your Rage into Sustainable Action | Chimene Schwach State Representative Campaign | Twin Lakes Park Shelter-Columbia
"Roe the Vote" Missouri Reproductive Freedom Tour | CoMo for Progress-Columbia
Organizing for Abortion discussion with Heather Booth-JANE Cofounder | Rising Organizers (online)
2021
“Reproductive Justice in Missouri” | Power Hour: What is Reproductive Justice? | NARAL Pro Choice Missouri (online)
2020
Event Moderator: Stronger Through Diversity speaker series | Black History Month event | Jefferson City’s Human Relations Commission | Capitol City Cinema
We Dissent Virtual Rally & Action on Abortion Access | CoMo for Progress-Columbia
“Organizing Digital Photo Campaigns” | HIV is Not a Crime Community Conversation: Mentoring Opportunity | Sero Project (online)
4th Annual Solidarity March and Rally | Boone County Courthouse | CoMo for Progress-Columbia
2019
Stop the Bans Rally | Stop the Bans Coalition | Missouri Capitol Building-Jefferson City
“Organizing for Reproductive Justice” discussion with Martha Scott-JANE Cofounder | Women’s and Gender Studies Department at the University of Missouri-Columbia | Fretboard Coffee
“Your Voice, Your Power:” Truth to Power to Action panel with Lucky Garcia-One Struggle KC, Michele Watley-Shirley's Kitchen Cabinet, Sandra Yoder, Justice Gatson-ACLU-MO, Cecilia Belser-Patton | Educate-Organize-Advocate Conference | University of Missouri-Kansas City
“HIV as a Reproductive Justice Issue” | HIV Is Not a Crime Panel with GK Callahan-University of Missouri Extension, LaTrischa Miles-KC Care Health Center, Jada Hicks, Esq.-The Center for HIV Law and Policy, Robert Richardson-MO HIV Justice Coalition, Jeanette Mott Oxford-Empower Missouri | Missouri HIV Justice Coalition and The Center for HIV Law and Policy | Leedy-Voulkos Art Center-Kansas City
Hear from the Experts on Black Maternal Health panel with Hakima Payne-Uzazi Village, Justice Gatson-Reale Justice Network, Dr. Traci Johnson-University of Missouri-KC, and Nika Cotton-Alive & Well Communities | Empower Missouri and Uzazi Village | Central Library-Kansas City
“To Kid or Not To Kid” film screening panel with film maker Maxine Trump, Dr. Barbara Sutton, and Dr. Amy Blackstone | Sociologists for Women in Society Summer Meeting-NYC
2018
Anti-Kavanaugh Rally | Planned Parenthood Advocates | US Capitol Building-Washington, DC
“Black Maternal and Infant Mortality in Missouri” | Boone County Muleskinners | Columbia Country Club
Being Woman while Being Black: When Being a Woman is Deadly panel | November learning community meeting | Cultural Competency Collective of Greater Kansas City
2017
People’s Session rally | MO Reproductive Coalition | Missouri Capitol Building-Jefferson City
“A Narrative: University of Missouri” | Narratives and Outcomes panel | Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution Fall Symposium | Law School at the University of Missouri-Columbia
2016
Racial Justice Activism on Campus panel with Dr. Joan Hermsen-University of Missouri-Columbia, Dr. Kris de Welde-College of Charleston, and Dr. Abby Ferber-University of Colorado at Colorado Springs | Sociologists for Women in Society Winter Meeting-Memphis
Organizing Excellence: Campus Engagement and Community Involvement panel with Angela Haeny, Kenneth Bryant, Jr, and Tiffanesha Williams | Colleagues to Campus Forum | University of Missouri-Columbia Graduate School
Leadership in Graduate School: From Community Organizing to Campus Activism panel with Rachel Bauer, Katie Steen, Hallie Thompson, and Jaqueline Gamboa Varela | Women in Leadership Conference | University of Missouri System-Columbia
2015
“Building Women’s Economic Security in Missouri” | Guarantee Women’s Economic Equality: Building Power to Address Structural Sexism in the Economy panel | National People’s Action Annual Conference-Washington, DC