My name is Shameka Parrish-Wright, LFJA Board President. I am a mother of 6 and grandmother of 3 and a half. I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and am directly impacted by incarceration, homelessness, adverse childhood experiences, the failed drug war and poverty.
I am honored to serve as Chair of the Louisville Family Justice Advocates and my goal is to make sure we have all forms of jail visitation available to families and loved ones.
I have been justice involved and I am accomplished community organizer, executive director, newly elected official, businesswoman and advocate that actively serves on several community boards because of the ongoing communication and education I received from my late father Gregory Lee Scruggs; who spent 40 of his 56 years on this earth in and out of jail.
I am Judi Jennings, Board treasurer. I am a native Kentuckian, happy Louisvillian, British historian, and avid walker.
I am with LFJA because I believe in the power of artmaking to create better policies and practices for children with incarcerated loved ones in my community.
My primary LFJA Focus for 2024 is finding a great new person to be the Board Treasurer.
I truly believe with Rev. Martin Luther King that darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can drive out darkness.
Shermeka Wallace, Board Member & LFJA Communications Connector
My name is Shermeka Wallace and I am an advocate for community healing and policy change. I foster these efforts through connectivity with individuals who share common interests and with those impacted by similar issues.
I am with LFJA because I believe in the power of artmaking to build safe communal spaces for children and families impacted by incarceration.
My primary LFJA Focus for 2024 is to support the growth of the Board of Directors and increase overall capacity building of the organization.
“You may not control all of the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them”
-Maya Angelou
I’m Leslie Clements, Board Secretary. I was born and raised in rural Western Kentucky, and have been a Louisvillian all of my adult life. I first started volunteering with LFJA when my own family was impacted by incarceration, and I am thankful for the support I’ve felt and the knowledge I’ve gained through this community. My primary focus in 2024 is to ensure that families are able to visit their incarcerated loved one in-person at LMDC, something that wasn’t even an option before the pandemic. I also want to ensure we can share our learnings and learn from other community-based organizations across Kentucky about how to best support incarceration-impacted families.
I’m Robin Cook, LFJA Coordinator. I grew up in Central Florida before choosing Louisville as my home over 30 years ago. The impact incarceration has had on my own family combined with my love of research and creative arts drew me to LFJA. My primary focus in 2024 is to help LFJA re-engage with the community as we all continue to find our way post-pandemic. I am excited to make art and change with families in Louisville.
My name is Dr. Annette W. Bridges and I am an early childhood birth to five specialist and an advocate for children and their families in marginalized communities. I am excited to be a part of LFJA and the work they are doing for families with incarcerated loved ones. My focus for 2024 is to partner with community organizations and alternative schools to provide resources and communicate about LFJA and how we can support them. I am concerned about the rate of incarceration of Black inmates and the impact it has on their families. It is very important to me that I do all I can to support them, and one way is through LFJA.
Dr. Tony Newberry
Yvette Goodwin
familyjusticeadvocates.org 