Dr. Krystal Redman is a self-published Author, and a frequent speaker throughout public health and reproductive health, and justice industries. Her latest book is entitled “I am Amyracle….and i was born early.” Dr. Redman brings over 13 years of experience in managing health promotion and disease prevention initiatives, as well as public health access and community-based youth development programs.

Prior to her current tenure as Executive Director of SPARK Reproductive Justice Now, Dr. Redman served as the Family Planning Director, Maternal and Child Health, at the Georgia Department of Public Health, where she worked on creating greater healthcare access for Georgians. She has worked in Chief leadership roles for organizations serving under resourced youth and womxn; and as a Chief of Operations and Clinical Director for a California based system of 24-ambulatory care mental health and addiction treatment and prevention programs.

Dr. Redman is also an Adjunct Professor at Emory School of Public Health and a leader of a breast cancer organization. Dr. Redman received her Bachelors of Science in Sociology from University of California, Riverside and a Masters of Health Administration from University of Southern California, Los Angeles. She received her Doctorates of Public Health from Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California.

Board Statement: SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW! Announces New Executive Director

RJ is… not just about our prerogative to survive, but to thrive. RJ is Black and Queer liberation. RJ is freedom. RJ is being able to be free from violence, oppression, systemic inequities, and anything else that prohibits us from being free. RJ amplifies bodily autonomy and self determination.

As someone who centers their work in RJ, public health and Black liberation — I have come to realize the intersections of RJ and public health. It is about ensuring that WE (those navigating multiple oppressions) have sustainable resources, equitable access to housing, employment/benefits/pay, culturally humble treatment and care, education (without debt), and much more — for ourselves, families and communities. It is “US” being able to navigate life without fear and barriers/policies/systems etc. that are put in place because of the identities that we hold. RJ is the dismantling of oppressive systems rooted in white supremacy — that were built intentionally against us. RJ is — Black, brown, womxn, Queer, Trans, non-binary, indigenous, those with disabilities — RJ is US.

Erin is an Ohio native who moved to Atlanta to attend Spelman College. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Spelman, Erin went on to obtain her Master of Arts degree in Mass Communication from Georgia State University. She has always been involved in building up her community through advocating for the homeless and inner-city youth, as well as various community services projects both personally and through school organizations. Though after graduating, Erin worked in the production industry, she is excited to alter her career path with her position at SPARK. Erin loves to spend time outdoors and uses both painting and writing to express herself creatively.

RJ Is… the movement that advocates for both individuals and communities to have the power to make educated decisions about their own bodies, gender and sexualities. Reproductive Justice is fighting for the preservation of self.

Leaux is a trans activist and artist from Atlanta. She advocates for the safety and inclusion of Black Queer and Trans individuals. She led a successful campaign for trans rights at Georgia Gwinnett College and believes in building safe spaces for QTPOC. Her advocacy inspires many, and she is determined to make a positive difference in the world by amplifying the voices of her community.

RJ Is… showing up for women and marginalized groups of people such as trans, queer, and gender non-conforming POC to protect bodily autonomy and help gain access to health care on a global level.

Rachel just moved to Atlanta from Kentucky where she graduated from the University of Louisville with a Bachelors of Science in communication in 2019 and then from the University’s Brandeis School of Law in 2023.

During law school, Rachel worked on issues relating to climate justice and environmental racism, taught classes to high schoolers relating to their constitutional rights, and served on the Executive board of the Black Law Student Association and as the Community Engagement Chair of the Student Bar Association. Rachel interned with the ACLU of Kentucky where she began working more closely with reproductive rights and justice, while researching possible criminality in a post-Roe world. She is most passionate about the criminal system and the ways in which it interacts with reproductive justice.

In her free time, Rachel enjoys taking care of her houseplants, crocheting, spending time with friends, or helping her mom at her flower farm.

RJ Is… a movement that was designed to uplift underserved communities and empower individuals to make informed and healthy decisions they need to make for themselves. Reproductive Justice acts as an overarching umbrella, fighting against many social justice issues all while trying to ensure bodily autonomy, at its core.

Antoinette is a Southern California native who’s made the metro-Atlanta area her home. Her interest in working in the medical field shifted when she started working in the Reproductive Justice field as a Patient Service Representative and Front Office Supervisor at the Feminist Women’s Health Center in Atlanta, Georgia. With her bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from the University of California-Riverside and master’s degree in Public Health from Mercer University, Antoinette’s passion for helping others and advocating for reproductive rights can be seen in her work. Antoinette looks forward to making contributions and uplifting SPARK’s values in Georgia and beyond.

RJ Is… a movement that centers on fighting for the rights of the marginalized people to make decisions on their bodily autonomy and well-being. Reproductive Justice strives for liberation and freedom for BIPOC women, transgender, genderqueer, non-binary, and gender non-conforming folx.

Kelli Goode is a writer, interdisciplinary artist, and Spark Reproductive Justice NOW’s Trans Leadership Coordinator. Kelli is a New Jersey native who moved to Atlanta to further her education and build community in QTPOC spaces. She found her passion for activism during her time navigating her undergraduate career at Georgia Gwinnett College where she battled with sexism, racism, misogynoir and transphobia.

Her work with Spark Reproductive Justice NOW is strengthening the Black Trans and GNC community while also being able to bring access and essentials to said community.

RJ Is… freedom for women and QTPOC to have access to do as they please with their bodies and the ability to move freely without judgement.

S’haleam is a black trans multi-disciplined artist from the South. he studied playwriting and poetry, and as a performance poet and producer learned marketing and communication skills such as graphic design and SEO. They worked as a Theater and Poetry teaching artist, where thy received training in Restorative Justice, and the transformative processes of conflict resolution. Recently, he has been studying Python to further my communications studies, and continue to advocate for trans and queer folx, at large, using technological mediums as mental and medical health resources/beacons. They are so excited to work with Spark RJ and to call somewhere like it home.

RJ Is… an active commitment to adhering to and challenging, amending policy, socio-issues directly correlated with generational trauma that adversely affect women, non-binary and trans identities.

Agbo is a womanist from Stockbridge, GA. Though always interested in civil rights and feminism, Agbo did not become more fully involved in activism and social justice until she attended Vanderbilt University, receiving a Bachelor’s in Women and Gender Studies, Psychology, and Philosophy. Agbo has worked with Atlanta Women for Equality to fight sexual discrimination at school and work, and hopes to extend her passions into a career in social work and the law. Agbo hopes to work with SPARK to bring holistic reproductive change in the state she loves and the rest of the deep south.

RJ Is… a movement that fights to give the most marginalized identities, bodily autonomy and access to reproductive health services. It is the unique marriage of social justice and reproductive rights and is one of the most — if not the most — important movement to a truly just society.

Carter was born in North Carolina but raised in Georgia. They have been involved in activism, organizing, and social justice since 2015. Their journey started with a focus on racial justice and has since grown to include queer and trans liberation, disability justice, environmental justice, and of course reproductive justice. Carter is passionate about the ways that learning more comprehensive interpersonal communication and care can lead to liberation for us all. The focus of their work at SPARK is on supporting their team in having everything they need to get the work done, including opportunities to explore how the relationships with one another inform the work that we do and how we show up in the world.

In their free time, Carter enjoys a good party, reading, and traveling as much as possible.

RJ Is… undeniable right of people of any gender or circumstance to have access to whatever means necessary to thrive.

Chisom (he/him) is an interdisciplinary artist who arrived in the Atlanta area in the spring of 2023. With a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Media Production, minors in Film Studies and Sociology, and a background in documentary filmmaking, he has a passion for bridging social consciousness and the perspectives of marginalized voices with creative documentation. He hopes to expand that passion through his work with SPARK RJ, while developing an understanding of organizing methods, sharpening skills around digital communications, and becoming acquainted with the local political landscape during his time as a fellow.

RJ Is…honoring the right that all people have to self-determine. In doing so, RJ is also about fostering stronger communities through the rejection of ciscentric, patriarchal ideas about how different bodies should exist in the world.

Jessica Pinckney is the executive director of ACCESS Reproductive Justice, a Reproductive Justice organization funding abortion and other reproductive healthcare. ACCESS removes barriers and builds the power of Californians to achieve reproductive justice. Jessica oversees the organization’s work to combine direct services, community education, and policy advocacy to promote real reproductive options and access to quality health care for people in California. No other organization in the state provides the same range of support for people considering or seeking an abortion.

She returns to her home state of California after living for nearly a decade in Washington, DC, where she previously served as vice president of government affairs at In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, a national/state partnership with eight Black women’s reproductive Justice organizations, lifting up the voices of Black women leaders on national, regional, and state policies that impact the lives of Black women and girls through strategies such as leadership development, advocacy and policy change, and movement building. Jessica previously served as government relations manager for YWCA USA, one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the country and as the legislative analyst at the University of California (UC) Office of Federal Governmental Relations, representing one of the most recognized and renowned public institutions of higher education in the country.

Jessica holds an M.A. in Government with a concentration in Political Communications from John’s Hopkins University and a B.A. in Political Science with an emphasis in Public Service from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, California Abortion Alliance, and SPARK! Reproductive Justice Now! and remains a relentless advocate and activist in her spare time. She is an avid reader, a newly found peloton enthusiast, and a loving pet parent to her 8-year old American Bulldog, Pitbull Mix, Apollo.

Chelsea Infinity Gonzalez is a queer, Afro-Bori attorney and youth rights champion from the Bronx, NY. Chelsea first began tackling reproductive justice issues while in high school as a TORCH peer leader, facilitating inclusive and medically accurate sexual health workshops to young people throughout New York City. This affirmed their passion for Black liberation, LGBTQ+ equity, decolonial feminism, and reproductive justice policy advocacy.

Chelsea is now a Law and Policy Analyst at Advocates for Youth, a national non-profit organization that seeks to advance the sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice of young people across the country. Chelsea’s primary focus is federal and state abortion access, contraceptive equity, parental involvement laws impacting minors’ access to reproductive healthcare, and legislative and judicial tracking. Prior to Advocates, Chelsea served as the Western New York Regional Organizer for the National Institute for Reproductive Health, where they utilized digital organizing tools to help advance abortion access for those with the ability to become pregnant and to garner support for comprehensive sexuality education within New York State.

Chelsea additionally engaged in social justice advocacy at a variety of legal and community based organizations including: ACLU of Puerto Rico, Legal Assistance of Western New York, VOICE Buffalo, and Partnership for the Public Good. They have a proven track record of mentoring and supporting underrepresented students with their transition to college and with their pursuit of higher education. Chelsea firmly believes that their cumulative lived, professional, and academic experiences have all been rooted in stigma-busting and community building, integral parts of achieving personal and collective liberation. She trusts young people’s leadership and ability to shape the future of the reproductive justice movement.

Chelsea received a joint law degree and Master’s in Social Work from the University at Buffalo. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Justice, with a concentration in Latine/x Studies Honors from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY. In their spare time, Chelsea enjoys binge-watching reality TV, crafting, and cooking. They reside in New Jersey with their partner of five years and two mischievous tabby cats.

Dr. Zoë Lucier-Julian (they/them) is a community-rooted clinician, scholar, teacher, and organizational leader in reproductive health and justice spaces in Atlanta, GA. Informed by reproductive justice and research justice praxis, Zoë’s work is focused on sexual, reproductive, and perinatal health equity through intergenerational and interdependent collaboration toward collective liberation.

Ultimately, they hold themselves accountable to our communities – Black queer, trans, and folks who exist beyond the gender binary.  With their ancestors and descendants in mind, they continue to radically reimagine health care systems and training paradigms beyond their oppressive origins toward a decolonized, liberated future.

They currently serve as the first Director of Clinical Innovation and Liberatory Research at Feminist Women’s Health Center, and are so excited to serve as a board member in support of SPARK RJ Now!

Preston Mitchum (he/him) is a Black queer attorney, advocate, and activist with a focus on the power of Black people, young people, and queer, trans, and nonbinary people. With a decade of legal and policy experience, he has a background in racial and gender justice, LGBTQ liberation, and reproductive health, rights, and justice policies.

Prior to joining The Trevor Project as an inaugural Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs, he served as the Director of Policy at URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. While there, he shaped state and federal strategies on reproductive health, rights, and justice in the South and Midwest, with issues on abortion access, comprehensive sexuality education, and LGBTQ+ health equities. Previously, he has worked at Advocates for Youth, the Center for Health and Gender Equity, Center for American Progress, and the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health. In addition, Preston is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center teaching LGBTQ Health Law & Policy.

Preston deeply believes in community organizing and training younger generations. He serves on the Board of Directors for Collective Action for Safe Spaces (co-chair) and International Youth Alliance for Family Planning (IYAFP). He is also the Vice President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Omicron Eta Lambda Chapter and the outgoing co-chair of the National Bar Association Young Lawyers Division’s Social Justice Committee.

Preston has been featured in Washington Post, BET.com, The Root, The Atlantic, Buzzfeed, CNN, Fox News, and others. He has many accolades including being named a 2021 Rockwood Fellow for Leaders in Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice, and was named one of the 2020 Best LGBTQ Lawyers Under 40 by the LGBT Bar Association. Preston was the first openly LGBTQ Chair of the Washington Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.

He holds a LL.M. in Law and Government from American University Washington College of Law, a Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from North Carolina Central University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Political Science from Kent State University. Preston resides in Washington, DC where he actively pushes for safe spaces for Black LGBTQ residents.

Candace Bond-Theriault Esq., LL.M. (she/her/hers) is a Black queer feminist lawyer, writer, and social justice advocate working at the intersections of law, policy, reproductive health, rights and justice, racial justice, economic justice, mental wellness, and LGBTQ+ liberation. Candace is the director of Racial Justice Policy & Strategy for Columbia Law School’s Center for Gender & Sexuality Law. She previously worked at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the National LGBTQ Task Force and at the American Civil Liberties Union.

Candace received her LL.M. degree in Constitutional Law with a dual focus on Gender & the Law and Politics and Legislation from the American University Washington College of Law, her J.D. from the North Carolina Central University School of Law, and her B.A. from the College of William and Mary. Her writing has appeared in the Nation, SELF magazine, the Root, Rewire, the Advocate, Health Magazine, and numerous other publications. She lives in Northern Virginia, with her partner, kiddo, and super cute yorkie.

Cazembe Murphy Jackson is a Black, Southern, queer, trans organizer. He believes in working across movements using a multi-tiered approach to ending systemic oppression. Cazembe is a commitment to loving himself so deeply that others are inspired to love themselves just as deep. He is the Membership Organizer for The Rising Majority. He lives and lives in Atlanta, GA.

Tyeone’s organizing experience began in their hometown, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when they led in protest safety training efforts and political theory dialogues following the murder of Alton Sterling in 2016. They moved to Atlanta the following year in 2017. Six years into their residency in Atlanta, Tyeone has since organized with orgs like AUC Shut It Down!, SONG Power, and SPARK to stand against sexual violence, policing and other threats to reproductive justice.

They have connected into several communities that hold space for their intersecting identities: organizer, creative, writer, truth teller, liberation-seeker — and most abundantly present in how they show up in any space — unapologetically black and queer.

Tyeone was one of SPARK’s inaugural fellows back in 2018. They continued through nonprofit in HIV work as a Lead Prevention Specialist at another nonprofit based in Atlanta. Their work as a specialist prioritized countering the narrative and stigma faced by black and brown, queer and trans people against their sexuality.

Tyeone is deeply committed to the work that centers the needs of our people. They currently work in social innovation with the GreenLight Fund, where they’ve married their community engagement experience with skill sets targeted at leveraging resources in coalition with others to bring solutions toward the survival, liberation and wellness of our people.