Skip to: Founders / Advisory Board
FOUNDERS
Lee Merritt
Lee Merritt is a National Civil Rights lawyer and activist whose practice focuses on ending police brutality and dismantling mass incarceration. Founder of the Merritt Law Firm and co-founder of the American Black Cross — Merritt represents victims of discrimination and state violence and works with an international network of organizers to address various human rights issues.
Shaun King
Recently hailed by Time Magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential People in the World on the Internet, Shaun King is a skilled organizer and is the Co-Founder of Real Justice, which has helped elect brave new District Attorneys all over the country. His daily podcast, The Breakdown, has become famous for its practical action steps for social good. He is a fierce advocate for families impacted by police brutality, white supremacy, and mass incarceration.
ADVISORY BOARD
NICOLE BELL
In 2006, long before hashtags and trending topics, 23 year old Sean Bell, the beloved partner of Nicole Bell, was brutally murdered by the NYPD in a hail of 50 bullets just hours before his wedding. Sean was unarmed, non-violent, and broke no laws. Nicole has been a determined voice for justice ever since and works closely with families impacted by police brutality.
CEPHUS “UNCLE BOBBY” JOHNSON
One of the most important advocates for families impacted by police violence in the country, “Uncle Bobby,” as he is affectionately known, was the Uncle of Oscar Grant, who was murdered by police in Oakland in 2009.
Wanda Cooper Jones
Before the nation knew the story of her dear son, Ahmaud Arbery, Wanda Cooper-Jones reached out to our founders, Shaun and Lee, for help. We organized our campaign to fight for justice for Ahmaud in partnership with Wanda and her family and continue to work with them regularly.
TRACI KEARNEY
Traci Kearney is the wife of Christopher Kearney, who is wrongly accused of murder and is currently awaiting trial. The Grassroots Law Project raised the funds for his defense team and is advocating for his innocence.
RODRICK REED
Rodrick Reed is the younger brother of Rodney Reed, who was wrongly charged, convicted, and sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. Rodrick was our close partner in our successful campaign to halt Rodney’s execution.
PAMELA WOODS
Pamela Woods is the beloved sister of the late Nate Woods — who was wrongly arrested, charged, and executed for a murder that he had absolutely nothing to do with. We worked alongside Pamela to try to stop this unjust execution and will be working with her in the future to advocate for cases that many deem untouchable.
Yodit Tewolde
Yodit Tewolde is a well-respected trial lawyer, former prosecutor & journalist. Having worked in the criminal legal system for over a decade, Yodit’s depth of experience and knowledge of its inner workings made her invaluable in her role as Host and Managing Editor of “Making the Case”, her primetime show on The Black News Channel (“BNC”). She also served as the resident legal expert on the reboot of the iconic, “America’s Most Wanted” which debuted in March 2021. Yodit was also a former Court TV host, anchoring her own show with live gavel-to-gavel courtroom coverage of the nation’s most compelling trials.