Katelyn Johnson is the executive director of Blackroots Alliance, a capacity-building network that builds research, leadership, communications, legal, campaign, and non-profit management capacity for institutions dedicated to Black liberation and willing to dig deep into community issues. She graduated from North Park University and has overseen a range of social justice initiatives in and around Chicago over the last 15 years. For six years she served as the executive director of a community-based organization focused on engaging low-income communities of color in campaigns related to affordable housing, public education reform, public safety, criminal justice reform, drug policy reform, and diversity, equity and inclusion. She was a leading advocate for the campaign to raise Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 and was instrumental in the success of the “Grow Your Own Teachers” program intended to diversify the teaching profession in Illinois.