BLACK LIVES AND OUR COLLECTIVE FUTURE

 Ama Nyamekye Anane, founder of Good Influence Consulting, a Black-owned boutique firm helping organizations engage and learn from stakeholders, refine their strategy, and communicate more meaningfully. Prior to starting Good Influence, Ama was a nonprofit founder, organizer and educator serving students in the prison and public school systems. Drawing on this amalgam of experiences, Ama facilitated virtual and in-person listening sessions on behalf of the CA Reparations Task Force. Good Influence partnered with Black-led and Black-serving California nonprofits. Recognizing that “There is more to Blackness than our struggle”(-Angela Shante’) Influence led with a commitment to including prayer, spoken word, music and meditation to integrate wellness and inspiration throughout the listening session process.

 Trevor Smith (he/him) is a writer, researcher, and strategist focused on topics such as racial inequality, wealth inequality, reparations, and narrative change. He is currently the Director of Narrative Change at Liberation Ventures, a field builder fueling the movement for Black-led racial repair, where he is building the ‘Reparations Narrative Lab’ (RNL). The RNL is a first-of-its-kind creative space designed to build narrative power behind reparations. He is also the creator, curator, and editor of a newsletter titled Reparations Daily (ish).

 Donald K. Tamaki is an appointed member of the California Repartions Task Force and a Partner at Minami Tamaki LLP. He is the co-founder of StopRepeatingHistory.Org, a campaign focused on drawing parallels between the round-up of Japanese Americans during World War II and the targeting of minority groups based on race or religion. One major aspect of the campaign is the intersectionality of the Japanese American Redress Movement and that of African American Reparations, with an emphasis on creating solidarity and promoting public awareness on the importance of advancing reparations for African Americans.

 Jean-Pierre Brutus is a senior counsel in the Economic Justice Program at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and its Say the Word Campaign working to establish a Reparations Task force in New Jersey. Jean-Pierre is a 2007 graduate of Georgetown University and a graduate of the JD/PhD program at Northwestern University, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law with a PhD in African American Studies from The Graduate School at Northwestern University. Jean-Pierre wrote a dissertation examining the origins of black politics outside of the traditional public sphere to conceptualize the counterpublic of black politics as bifurcated into a civil and uncivil black politics.

Professional genealogist and active advisory participant on California’s AB3121 to The Reparation Task Force concerning reparations eligibility based on race or lineage. Kellie spent 15 years helping African-American families trace their ancestry. She also facilitates workshops on transforming race narratives and dismantling systems of racial inequality. Prior to Kellie’s work in training and genealogy, she worked for 20 years in the banking and finance sector for major US institutions. Reparation Generation is a national organization providing direct reparative transfers to Black Americans for wealth-building pursuits.

Co-Chair, Founder Reparation Generation

Founder and President of Mayer Laboratories, Inc, a North American medical device company. Founder of BeHOME (Berkeley Housing Opportunities for Municipal Employees). Has served in various capacities at numerous community organizations. Reparation Generation is a national organization providing direct reparative transfers to Black Americans for wealth-building pursuits.