Hello. I am Breonna but I go by Bree.
I am a 26-year-old sales coordinate at Montvale Independent Living. I also serve as co-chair of the Education Task Force as well as the Economic Disparities and Service Accessibility committee under the Massey Commission. My passion lies in advocating for those who need a voice – ensuring that everyone has access to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
From an early age I have been taught to speak up for what is right, even if I am standing alone. Growing up on the east side of town, I saw firsthand the disparities between my community and the opportunities my friends on other sides of town enjoyed.
Before even starting school, I had difficult conversations with my family about race and equality. Being the only person of color in a white family, my mother prepared me to navigate adversity and fight for respect. She taught me to be unapologetically loud and claim my identity, instilling in me a belief that not only do I deserve rights to success and happiness, but so does everyone else.
I was in seventh grade when Trayvon Martin was killed. At that age, it was so hard to conceptualize the magnitude of the whole incident. This had planted a seed of passion for justice. The following year, I researched Emmett Till for an essay and the puzzle pieces started to come together. Racism wasn’t just a history lesson, but still a glaring issue that affects most people’s lives today. The older I got, more egregious examples of racism started trending and I knew I had to be part of the change.
After the death of George Floyd, I began attending protests. I was working at the Boys & Girls Club at the time and had discovered another passion of mine – children and their future. This was when I realized my passions weren’t so distant in relation after all. Whenever I could, I would engage in age-appropriate conversations about injustices.
To fix systematic issues, we need to involve children in these conversations. We must understand that they are capable of complex conversations. It’s time to see them not as passive bystanders but as future leaders with valuable ideas and perspectives. We must start by addressing their school life, their home lives and how we can better set them up for success. My interest in the school-to-prison pipeline and having grown up experiencing disparities puts me in a unique position to be a positive advocate for children and to stand up for their right to respect.
I plan to use my role on the Education Task Force to introduce innovative ideas that bridge the gap between parents, children and schools. I want to address topics others may shy away from, and, at the very least, plant seeds of change in the mind of future leaders. If sharing my story or experiences makes even one child or person feel seen, I will have fulfilled my purpose.
If you are interested in getting involved with Faith Coalition’s Education Equity Task Force, join us on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. Our meeting is located at Calvary MB Church. Join Faith Coalition for the Common Good on Feb. 21, 2025, at the Transformational Justice Expo. We will be partnering with Land of Lincoln Legal Aid on expungement and sealing of records. The Secretary of State’s Mobile DMV will be present as well for license renewals and IDs.
Breonna Roberts is the co-chair of Faith Coalition’s Educational Equity Task force and a community activist. If you have any questions or want more information on how to get involved, email tyshianna@faithcoalition-il.org or visit https://faithcoalition-il.org/.
This article appears in A critical loss for District 186.
