ABOUT US
Black Minds Matter was founded in 2020 to bring attention to the inequities in the education system that eerily resemble the institutional injustices of our criminal justice system. For Black lives to matter, Black minds must matter.
Black Minds Matter is a national movement to celebrate Black minds, support excellence, and promote the development of high-quality school options for Black students. We encourage and empower elected officials, community members and families to be innovative, demand excellence in education, and increase the number of schools founded by Black individuals.
Only 15 out of 100 black students nationwide are proficient in reading. High school graduation rates for black students continue to lag behind their white peers, and studies show that 70% of black males without a high school diploma will end up in prison. Nourishing black minds with a rich education is the first step to breaking generational poverty and societal inequities. We are committed to ensuring every Black student has access to a high-quality education of their parent’s choice.
Black Minds Matter is a project of the American Federation for Children Growth Fund.
MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to nourish Black minds with a rich education by any means necessary.
Our essence and our being deserve life. That means that protecting Black lives has to simultaneously include nurturing Black minds. Anything less is unacceptable.
– Black Minds Matter
LEADERSHIP
DENISHA ALLEN
Senior Fellow and Founder of Black Minds Matter
Denisha previously served as School Choice and Youth Liaison to the Secretary of Education at the U.S. Department of Education. Denisha is a Florida tax-credit scholarship graduate and now sits on the board of directors for Step Up For Students. She received her master’s degree in social work from the University of South Florida and her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary social science. Along the way, Denisha has become a national symbol for school choice, headlining events with elected leaders, including the former President, governors, members of congress, and other advocates for school choice. Denisha has shared her story across the country and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Examiner, EducationWeek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Fox News among other outlets.
Kassie Elekes, Director of Strategic Initiatives
Kassie joins AFC from ExcelinEd where she led the organization’s family engagement storytelling efforts. Previously, she served as the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Director of Marketing and Engagement and the Florida Department of Education’s Director of Digital Media. Kassie holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Florida State University and a master’s degree in integrated marketing and communication management.
OUR TEAM
Natalie Bell, Strategic Initiatives Coordinator
Prior to joining AFC, Natalie assisted people affected by natural disasters. She has also worked with K-12 children in after-school programs and tutored elementary children. She loves being able to couple her skills with her passion for education.
Jayleesha Cooper, Future Leaders Fellow Graduate, BMM Contractor
Jayleesha is a graduate of AFC’s 2023 Future Leaders Fellowship cohort. Jayleesha attended private Catholic schools thanks to her mother’s hard work and private donor scholarships. As a high school student, she told her story and testified in the Nebraska legislature in favor of school choice. She now attends one of the top ten schools in the country, the University of Chicago, where she majors in sociology and minors in inequality, social problems, and change.
Walter Blanks Jr., Spokesperson
Walter is a spokesperson for AFC and a private school choice program beneficiary. From a young age, Walter recognized that many children are still stuck in underperforming schools and wanted to do something about it. Before joining AFC full-time, Walter was chosen for the first cohort of the American Federation for Children Future Leaders Fellowship, a year-long advocacy and professional development program for graduates of private school choice programs. Before joining the national team, Walter championed educational freedom and shared his story across the country serving as a 2018 50CAN National Voices Fellow, an advocacy fellowship that aims to find, connect and support young leaders in education. At AFC, Walter has a key leadership role with both the Voices for Choice and Future Leaders Fellowship programs, as well as working closely with Black Minds Matter events. Walter also serves as a spokesperson for AFC and frequently appears in local and national print and news media. A gifted and in-demand speaker, Walter travels across the country sharing his story and advocating for expanding educational opportunities to more children and families. Walter received his bachelor’s degree in journalism and media production from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Katie Linehan, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives
Katie Linehan is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for the American Federation for Children. She was previously the Vice President of Communications and Development and before that, the National Director of Communications & Marketing for AFC.
Witnessing the effects of school choice in New Orleans and Washington D.C., Katie’s interest in expanding educational opportunity for low-income children brought her back to her home state in 2011. She worked for educational non-profit organizations serving children in North and South Omaha and as a legislative aide for the Vice Chair of the Education Committee in the Nebraska Legislature before moving to New York City to work as a teacher at Success Academy Charter School in Harlem. In 2015, Katie launched a statewide organization dedicated to improving the quality of education for all children in Nebraska. She has also served as an advisor to policymakers at the local, state, and federal level regarding K-12 education and school choice.
Katie earned her undergraduate degree from Loyola University New Orleans and her law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law.
