This month, we’re excited to honor four first-time candidates as our DFERs of the month. They are each graduates of the Leaders of Color Program – Memphis.
The Leaders of Color program identifies, trains, and supports community-based Black and Brown civic leaders, empowering them with the tools and resources to advance educational equity and the broader cause of racial justice. Leaders of Color fills in the gap between the tremendous talent of community-based leaders of color and the resources and investment required to empower those leaders to create lasting civic change.
Upon winning, these four incredible women will each be the first Black woman to hold their respective offices:
- Kristy Sullivan (Shelby County School Board, District 4)
- Sheleah Harris (Shelby County School Board, District 5)
- Dominique Primer (Tennessee State House, District 84)
- Anya Parker (Tennessee State House, District 90)
Help Kristy, Sheleah, Dominique and Anya make history by supporting their campaigns here.
About the candidates:
Kristy Sullivan wants nothing more than for her children—and all the community’s children—to have access to an equitable, quality education that will prepare them for life. Kristy wants to serve as a voice for parents who, like her, have often felt excluded and unheard. She has spent the past 10 years working in education in Shelby County and communities across the country as a champion for teachers, an advocate for parents and families, and a proponent for change and innovation.
Sheleah Harris is the founder and executive director of Living Grace, Inc., a non-profit organization that advocates for and serves homeless youths in Memphis. Sheleah also works as a manager of State and Local Government Affairs for a Fortune 500 company. She served as a high school teacher for Shelby County Schools and Bartlett City Schools.
Dominique Primer is an active member of the Memphis community and volunteers with various local and national non-profit organizations including STS Enterprise, Keepers of 306—Committee for the National Civil Rights Museum, and Girl Scouts Heart of the South, where she is the troop leader for Brownie Girl Scouts and Junior Girl Scouts. Dominique is the founder/owner of SWIM Academy Memphis and head coach of the Stingray Swim Team, located in the Hickory Hill community.
Anya Parker is an advocate for her community, and has hosted numerous drives, workshops, and other communal events to combat homelessness and bring awareness for the less fortunate. In 2018, Anya helped successfully defeat legislation that was proposed that would have dismantled 55,000 professional beauty careers. Anya felt it was her duty to galvanize beauty professionals to fight deregulation.