Freedom Sunday & The Black Ballot

Jonathan McKinney (Special Guest)

Early in his life, Jonathan McKinney noticed the varying disparities in his Eastside Detroit community. He experienced the effects of segregation, White flight and the lingering economic inequities as a result of local legislation before he understood the terms.  By his teenage years, Jonathan learned to avoid the violence of the crack epidemic while learning to appreciate the power of the community and his voice in it.  

As the son of a Union officer and preacher who has worked with volunteers his entire life, Jonathan is a servant leader who learned the practices of advocating for the collective.  Today, Jonathan serves as the President of The Advocacy Factory, that curates, teaches, and supports independent advocacy ecosystems to proactively strategize, intentionally build relationships, and support legislation that directly affects Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.  As a consultant, Jonathan is working on several voter outreach projects including Black Church 75, Souls to the Polls Maryland, Maryland Healthcare for All, Move New Jersey, and the campaign to elect Jacky McCoy to his local Board of Education. Jonathan is also the CEO of a small photography business called JAM Unlimited.

Pre-pandemic, Jonathan served as the Mid-Atlantic Region VII Field Director for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) where he provided assistance, oversight, and training to NAACP State Conferences, Adult Chapters, and Youth Units.  In 2018, Jonathan won the NAACP’s Medgar Wiley Evers Award of Excellence for his ongoing dedication to serving.  

Known as “The Field Guy”, Jonathan has worked several successful campaigns, demonstrations, and marches.  His work has included prison advocacy, disaster relief, and Presidential campaigns.  Within his 25 years of servant leadership, Jonathan has learned to take pride in helping others recognize their passion for change, then assisting them in finding their voice and place in the movement.

 

Richelle Terese (Host)

Richelle is the NAACP New Jersey State Conference Communications, Press and Publicity Committee Chair. and a 2021 Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) Senior Fellow. She is committed to her work as a freelance marketer, assisting community organizations with communications, media, graphic design, community engagement, research, campaigns, and program planning/coordination. Richelle studied at Rutgers University majoring in Africana Studies (Black studies), History and Education.