Meet Leanna Pearson. Leanna graduated from the Leaders of Color - New York in 2022. Leanna currently leads legislative and community development initiatives as Chief of Staff at the New York State Assembly, and previously served in the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President. Before she worked in government, Leanna was a teacher, working with students in special education and mentoring other educators. Her commitment to education equity, community-building, and equitable policies exemplifies what Leaders of Color are all about.
Leaders of Color alum Jason Sharif founded RESPECT the Haven CDC to serve the Whitehaven community in Memphis and remove those barriers to success.
To help set students up for success, Leaders of Color 2023 alum Letisha Vinson is working to establish a comprehensive wellness program for students in Washington, D.C.
In January 2024, the Louisiana state legislature approved a new congressional voting map that includes two majority-Black districts. We are proud of the Leaders of Color who played a part in this decision. Learn more about the work from State Representative and Leaders of Color alum Vanessa Caston LaFleur.
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Leaders of Color Welcomes the Class of 2024
Leaders of Color, Memphis, an organization focused on identifying, training and elevating Black and Latinx leaders in Memphis to become civic and political education leaders, released results of a new public opinion poll commissioned by the organization focused on the beliefs, aspirations, and priorities of likely voters in Memphis. The survey found that voters overwhelmingly support public school choice in Memphis and have a strong preference for an expansion of public school options as opposed to the creation of private school vouchers.
This Black History Month, we are celebrating our Leaders of Color alumni who have made history in their communities!
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In a recent opinion piece, our alum Dr. Audrey Elion highlights the importance of high-quality public schools and public school choice in Memphis. The full opinion piece is below. This article was originally published in The Daily Memphian.
Our monthly newsletter provides a snapshot of our work to build Black and Latino civic engagement and political power in our communities.
