About Us

LeadBLACK was established following significant triumphs in organizing in St. Louis. This organizing propelled visionary change including the closure of the workhouse and historic investments in early childhood education. Both of these wins centered Black community members who were impacted by oppressive systems in our region and underinvested social systems that leave our families struggling.  These achievements and the change in mindset they represent provide an ideal opportunity for the launch of LeadBLACK, which aims to bring together a cohort of Black leaders to envision and coordinate efforts aimed at transforming the St. Louis area.

The Journey

St. Louis is in the midst of a political renaissance. The evidence of this transformation can be witnessed in the recent and historic election of progressive Black women in the highest offices in our region, the passage of historic policy aimed at investing in Black communities and the growth of Black-led organizations who are on the frontlines of change. These wins are not accidental, but the intentional outcome of focused organizing, collaboration and partnership.

Since the Ferguson Uprising in 2014, Black leaders and Black led institutions have been on the frontlines of the most pressing issues facing our region. Organizations have shifted the landscape toward a vision of racial and economic justice. While much has been accomplished in the last 8 years, we continue to see concerted efforts to undo our progress and disempower and disenfranchise Black communities. To ensure that Black political power is realized, Black leaders must build the containers to envision a region where Black families are safe and thriving in their full power.

Since  2018, a group of local Black leaders, supported by the Amplify Fund,  have engaged in a strategy development process to create a political alignment and leadership development program designed by and for Black leaders in the region. The purpose of the cohort is to bring emerging and established Black leaders together to deepen relationships and trust, support skills development and strengthen individual and collective capacity.

Over the summer of 2020, during the COVID-19  pandemic and social unrest, following the murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor,  LeadBlack was conceptualized and designed by St. Louis local leaders,  Charli Cooksey (WEPOWER), Kayla Reed (Action St. Louis), and Blake Strode (ArchCity Defenders), with the facilitative support of Interaction Institute for Social Change, in partnership with Amplify Fund and Deaconess Foundation.