Brittany Packnett Cunningham

Packnett Cunningham was born on November 12, 1984, to Ronald Broadnox Packnett, an ordained Baptist minister in St. Louis, and his wife Gwendolyn.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/brittany-packnett-comes-home-to-lead-teach-for-america-st-louis/article_4ed054ec-44d1-11e2-b19f-0019bb2963f4.html|title = Brittany Packnett comes home to lead Teach for America St. Louis| date=December 13, 2012 }} She graduated from John Burroughs School, then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis as an Ervin Scholar{{Cite book |last=Purdy |first=Michelle A. |title=The Crisis of Race in Higher Education : A Day of Discovery and Dialogue |date=2017 |publisher=Emerald Group Publishing |isbn=9781786357106 |volume=19 |pages=279 |chapter=The John B. Ervin Scholars Program’s “Legacy of Commitment”: Grounded in Discovery and Dialogue}}, and a master's degree in secondary education from American University.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-25 |title=Brittany Packnett Cunningham - CDF Action Council |url=https://cdfactioncouncil.org/staff/cunningham-packnett-brittany/ |access-date=2022-08-27 |language=en-US}}

In 2014, while Packnett was the executive director of Teach for America in St. Louis, she became involved in the protests that erupted after a police officer shot and killed an 18-year-old black man, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri. She used Twitter and other social media to fight what she called the distorted media narrative of the protests. Packnett became a significant figure of Black Twitter, where she spoke out about education, voting rights, and equal pay.{{Cite book|title=Modern Herstory|last=Imani|first=Blair|publisher=Ten Speed Press|year=2018|isbn=978-0-399-58223-3|location=California|pages=42}}

The Washington Post described Packnett as "heavily involved in the planning and coordination of the Ferguson protest". Missouri Governor Jay Nixon appointed her to serve on the Ferguson Commission established to respond to the unrest.{{cite news|last1=Lowery|first1=Wesley|title=Obama names task force to examine trust between police and minority communities|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2014/12/18/obama-names-task-force-to-examine-trust-between-police-and-minority-communities/|access-date=12 September 2016|newspaper=Washington Post|date=December 18, 2014}}

In the summer of 2015, Packnett cofounded Campaign Zero, a policy platform designed to end police violence. That year, she was appointed to Barack Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, created after the killings of Brown and others drew attention to police brutality. Time magazine named Packnett to a 2015 list of "12 New Faces of Black Leadership."{{cite magazine|date=January 16, 2015|title=Meet 12 New Faces of Black Leadership|magazine=Time|url=https://time.com/3668782/12-faces-of-black-leadership/|access-date=12 September 2016}} She was also named to The Root magazine's 2015 Root 100 list, described as "the bridge over turbulent, troubled waters."{{cite news|title=The Root 100 – 2015|work=The Root|url=http://www.theroot.com/facewall/the-root-100-2015/#brittany_packnett|url-status=dead|access-date=12 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919164038/http://www.theroot.com/facewall/the-root-100-2015/#brittany_packnett|archive-date=19 September 2016}} Ebony's 2015 Power 100 included Packnett, Johnetta Elzie, Deray Mckesson, and Samuel Sinyangwe for their work on Campaign Zero.{{cite news|title=2015 Power 100|work=Ebony|url=http://www.ebony.com/power100-2015/|access-date=12 September 2016}}

In 2016, she was promoted to Vice President of National Community Alliances at Teach for America and began the organization's first civil rights and equality campaign.

During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Packnett endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, saying, "This is not about me. This is about the work. The best way I can use my platform is to support Secretary Clinton."Melissa Harris-Perry (October 2016): [http://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/news/a40176/brittany-packnett-hillary-clinton-endorsement/ "Black Lives Matter Activist Brittany Packnett on Why She's Finally #WithHer"], Elle

In a 2017 NPR interview, Packnett encouraged white people to use the essay White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh as a tool to recognize their white privilege.{{cite news |title=Combating Racism After Charlottesville |work=NPR |date=August 16, 2017 |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/08/16/543830357/combating-racism-after-charlottesville?t=1570628689752}}

During a May 2020 interview on MSNBC about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, Packnett Cunningham said, "America needs to ask itself why only a viral consumption of black suffering can actually bring action."{{Cite web|title=Activist: 'Justice is impossible' for Ahmaud Arbery|url=https://www.msnbc.com/hallie-jackson/watch/activist-justice-is-impossible-for-ahmaud-arbery-83209285730|website=MSNBC.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-08}}

During a February 2022 interview on MSNBC about new self-defense legislation proposed in her home state of Missouri, Packnett Cunningham said, "When folks talk about making America great again...They want to return to days when you could lynch or murder Black folks and there would be absolutely no retribution for it. That’s not hyperbole."{{Cite web|title=Activist: 'msnbc-guest-says-make-america-great-again-is-code-for-wanting-to-lynch-or-murder-black-folks|url=https://www.mediaite.com/tv/msnbc-guest-says-make-america-great-again-is-code-for-wanting-to-lynch-or-murder-black-folks/|website=mediaite.com|language=en|access-date=2022-02-03}}

In 2019, Brittany Packnett married fellow activist Reginald Cunningham in New Orleans. The couple met in 2014 at a protest in their hometown of St. Louis. The couple was married at Studio BE, the gallery of artist Brandan "Bmike" Odums', while standing between room-length portraits of Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King Jr.{{Cite web|title=Bridal Bliss: A Round Of Applause For Brittany and Reginald's Woke New Orleans Wedding|url=https://www.essence.com/love/weddings/inside-brittany-packnett-and-reginald-cunninghams-woke-new-orleans-wedding/|website=Essence|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-08}}

Stories of her ancestors were uncovered in an episode of PBS' Finding Your Roots, including the identity of her paternal grandfather, previously unknown to her.{{Cite web|title=Activist Roots|url=https://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/watch/episodes/activist-roots|access-date=2022-01-12|website=Finding Your Roots|language=en}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://brittanypacknett.com brittanypacknett.com], official website
• {{commons category-inline}}
• {{C-SPAN|79224}}

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Category:1984 births

Category:Living people

Category:Activists for African-American civil rights

Category:Black Lives Matter people

Category:Washington University in St. Louis alumni

Category:American University alumni

Category:MSNBC people

Category:Activists from St. Louis

Category:John Burroughs School alumni