Kayla Reed
Kayla Reed (she/her) is a Black, queer feminist organizer and strategist from St. Louis, Missouri. Kayla is the co-founder and Executive Director of Action St. Louis, a grassroots racial justice organization founded after the 2014 Ferguson Uprising that works to build Black political power. In her role, she has led campaigns that have resulted in the election of progressive Black candidates throughout the St. Louis region and led issue-based campaigns around housing, voting rights and the criminal legal system. Kayla is also a lead strategist in the Movement for Black Lives, where she co-founded the Electoral Justice Project (EJP), a national campaign of the Movement for Black Lives, that seeks to challenge electoral injustice, expand and mobilize the Black electorate and strengthen the capacity of Black-led organizations building power across the U.S.
Presentations from Facing Race 2024
10 Years After Ferguson: What the Movement Taught Us, Where We Go From Here
August 9th, 2024, commemorated the 10th anniversary of Michael Brown Jr.’s tragic death at the hands of a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. This event ignited widespread protests, galvanized a movement for justice, and catalyzed calls for systemic reform across the nation. Join us for an engaging dialogue featuring leaders in the fight for justice as we examine the enduring impact of Ferguson and its continuing influence on today’s social and political dynamics. Reflecting on the changes made and the challenges that persist, we will discuss what the next decade might hold for justice reform and racial equity, envisioning a future shaped by the lessons learned from Ferguson.
Moderator(s): Chinyere Tutashinda Speakers: Annissa G. McCaskill, Michael Brown Sr., Cal Brown, Kayla ReedThe Grab: Talking About State Takeovers, White Supremacy, and How We Keep Our Power
Preemption is currently being used and abused to disrupt advances in racial justice, health equity, voting, and countless other issues that deeply impact the ability to build power for communities of color. We saw this clearly in Jackson, Mississippi, where the state legislature passed House Bill 1020, mandating the appointment of special judges and prosecutors by Mississippi state officials in majority-Black Hinds County, which includes the City of Jackson.
HB 1020 also permits Capitol Police to take effective control of policing responsibilities in an area of Jackson, increasing the police presence in Black communities. With its enactment, it shifts authority over the county’s criminal justice system away from democratically elected judges and prosecutors elected by Black voters. It also starves revenue from the city by diverting 18% of the tax revenue that should go to Jackson city but will now go to the state to fund the new judiciary arm.
The blatant power grab and preemptive attack by the majority-White legislature in a Black city like Jackson, MS, is spreading across the country. White and right-wing conservative states are attacking our voting rights, education and curriculum, efforts to advance police abolition, living wage ordinances, and the bodily autonomy and healthcare of trans and gender-expansive youth.
Our communities are feeling the brunt of these state attacks. This panel will discuss the impact of state power grabs at the local level and the strategies to combat them, from narrative shifts needed to organizing strategies to protect local victories and community self-determination.
Speakers: Judith Browne Dianis, Makani Themba, Jennifer Dillon, Kayla Reed