Nia Buckley
Nia Buckley is a mother and a lover of people. She is a licensed social worker with more than a decade of expertise in behavioral health, case management, anti-racism facilitation, and social work leadership. Nia possesses a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Houston and is presently a Doctoral candidate at the University of Kentucky. She is dedicated to leading and supporting anti-racist initiatives aimed at dismantling all forms of racism, particularly anti-Black racism.
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Brandon Mack
Brandon Mack is a college admissions professional, educator, activist, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of B.Mack Strategies, LLC, which provides consulting on college admissions, diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), politics, and meeting/dialogue facilitation services.
In addition to his day job, Brandon Mack is a community activist and sociologist dedicated to issues related to the intersections of race, gender, and sexual orientation. He has conducted research on effemiphobia, the negativity related to effeminate gay men. His work has been featured in a GLAAD Media Award winning article and he has presented his work at national conferences such as the National LGBTQ Task Force: Creating Change and NBJC's Out on the Hill. He was a lead organizer with Black Lives Matter Houston. Screening Committee Chair of the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus. Vice Chair of the Harris County LGBTQIA+ Commission. Mack graduated from Rice University in 2006 with a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology & Political Science. In 2013, Mack earned a Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration & Supervision from the University of Houston. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Higher Education Leadership & Policy Studies at the University of Houston |
Kenya JOHNSON, PhD, MSWDr. Johnson’s commitment to this work is reflected in her racial justice advocacy background and in her work as an educator. Before leaving her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, she engaged in community organizing work in the Penrose-O’Fallon community. She learned community organizing skills while working alongside local activists and civic leaders committed to achieving social justice throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan area. After relocating to Las Vegas, she was trained as a dismantling racism facilitator through the Western States Center in Portland, Oregon and Race Forward in Chicago, Illinois. From 2005-2011, she facilitated multiple training sessions for grassroots organizers, college students, labor groups, government employees, and non-profit organizations throughout the Midwest and Western regions. During this time, she also served on local, state-wide, and national coalitions committed to addressing various forms of systemic oppression. Her racial justice advocacy work intersected with education, youth civic engagement, health equity, and environmental justice. In 2009, she assisted the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada in the development of Nevada’s first racial equity report card intended to rate the policy work of Nevada’s legislators.
Dr. Johnson has direct political engagement experience with organizing communities and facilitating grassroots mobilization efforts that increased voter engagement, especially in communities of color. She advised political candidates and elected officials and coalesced with grassroots and grass-tops leaders during and in-between election cycles. Dr. Johnson has over twenty years of teaching experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels, having taught various courses in sociology and social work. She has extensive community-based mental health experience having worked with children and their families. She has received numerous awards for her community activism work. Dr. Johnson relocated to Houston, Texas in 2012 where she continued to advocate for the dismantling of system racism particularly through education. In 2020, she and Dr. Kim Baker co-founded the Race Equity Leadership and Research Collective. This nonprofit, also known as the “RE Collective," is the culmination of her life’s work as it is dedicated to the advancement and leadership cultivation of Black, Indigenous, Latino/a, and other people of color through leadership, research, and advocacy. In addition to this work, Dr. Johnson currently serves as the facilitator for the Houston 2036 Task Force. Dr. Johnson grew up in the Pine Lawn community and graduated from Normandy High School. She received her bachelor’s in social work from the University of Central Missouri in 1994 and her master's in social work from Saint Louis University in 1997. In May 2021, she completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work at the University of Houston's Graduate College of Social Work. She is married to Army Veteran Patrick Minott and together they have three children ages 22, 18, and 14. |
Kim Baker, DR.PHDr. Kim Baker (she/her) is co-owner of Full Circle Strategies. She has dedicated her career to addressing health disparities and advocating for health equity through program, policy, and practice. She works full time in public health as an Assistant Professor where she researches topics related to reproductive health & justice and public health practice. She manages We Can Do More/Own Every Piece, a multi-partner systems level intervention to increase access to contraception for women in Harris County. Here she is conducting research on implicit associations among reproductive health providers and working to reduce them through storytelling. Dr. Baker has also developed multiple health interventions using participatory methods targeting African-American male teens, faith institutions and health providers.
She has years of facilitation experience and has trained hundreds of educators in sexual health topics including curriculum delivery, consent, managing bias/controversy and answering hard questions. Most recently Dr. Baker's work in maternal health has highlighted the need for more thoughtful training and engagement among health professionals, med students and nursing students on their personal beliefs and how they impacts care delivery. Dr. Baker received her Bachelors in Biology from Hampton University in Hampton, VA in 2003, her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 2006 and her Doctorate in Public Health from The University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health in 2013. She is married with two small children. |
Almira JohnsonMy name is Almira Johnson and I am currently a proud board member with Full Circle Strategies. I'm a retired Educator. I was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. I received my BS in Education in 12/18/99 from Harris-Stowe State College, St Louis. I taught 6th through 12th grade from 2001-2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In 2002, I received a Masters in Urban Studies Education from Nova Southeastern University, Las Vegas. I moved to Houston, Texas in 2012. I have volunteer whith several non-profits, since moving to Houston. I volunteered for the Center for Healing Racism. I am currently on the board of The Friends of Sugarland 95. Since retiring, I have developed my art skills and love creating African-inspired art. |
Celeste MyersCeleste Myres (she/her) is proud to serve as a board member. She has dedicated her career to inspiring and empowering others to be their best selves and providing an equitable educational experience. She works full
time for a traditional school district as an elementary school Principal. Celeste has served in Title I schools for over 15 years in various teaching and leadership roles and her passion is in improving outcomes for students and empowering the community through the success of the school. Celeste is a native of Barrett Station, Texas where she first learned the importance of heritage and education and the impact it can have on the community. She is excited to continue her work through the Re Collective. When she is not working or serving her community, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters. |
Anne SlaterHello! I'm Anne Slater, pronouns she/her. I'm white, and deeply connected to being a mother, wife, daughter, friend and antiracist change-maker. Professionally, I have been an LCSW/therapist for 16 years and own JustUs Therapy and Practice, where we collaborate toward liberation and healing from unjust systems.
Working with the RECollective came together just over three years ago when I was leading groups for white folks to practice slowing down, process our role in systems of oppression, and take responsibility toward imagining a more loving way to live. I feel honored to be invited to buttress RECollective’s beautiful, grounded approach to antiracist leadership as a board member. |