This is the first of a five-part series.
Since our founding in 2015, these annual lists of Wisconsin’s most influential Black, Latino, Indigenous, and Asian American leaders have become the most anticipated thing we do. They are more than lists; they are celebrations of the diversity, strength, and resilience of our state.
My goal has always been simple: to shine a light on the people who are shaping Wisconsin’s future, often behind the scenes, and to give young people role models who prove that success is possible right here at home.
This week we shine a statewide spotlight on the dedicated leaders of Wisconsin’s Black and African American communities. These are richly diverse communities spanning small towns, big cities, and every corner of our state. The people we highlight this week are elected leaders, business leaders and community leaders, doing difficult, important work.
Of course, this list isn’t comprehensive. There are many more leaders who deserve recognition, and we invite you to share their names so we can include them in the future.
For now, I encourage you to get to know the incredible people on this year’s list. Reach out to those in your community, learn from their work, and share their stories with your network.
Henry Sanders
CEO, 365 Media Foundation
Publisher, Madison365
Christine Russell
Christine Russell is Director of Health & Wellness Programs with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness, a role she took on in 2022 after a decade as a client solutions manager at American Speciality Health. She also started and ran Rooted Wellness Services, providing health and exercise coaching, yoga, and interaction health education workshops. She is an alum of UW-Stevens Point.
Colleston Morgan
Colleston Morgan is executive director of City Forward Collective in Milwaukee, where he previously served as vice president of strategy and policy. A native of Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood, he began his career as a social studies teacher at G.W. Carver High School, where he was recognized as the school’s Teacher of the Year. Colleston then spent time working at the Louisiana Department of Education, and at New Orleans Public Schools, culminating in a Cabinet-level role as the district’s Chief Strategy Officer. While at the district, Colleston was a key leader in the development and implementation of the district’s plan to return to local governance of New Orleans’ system of public charter schools, after more than a decade of state control. He earned an A.B. in Government from Harvard University, a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, and is an alum of the Pahara Institute, Cambiar Catalyst Fellowship, and the New Leaders Council.
Tanya Hines
Tanya Hines is the CEO and Principal of consultancy Hines + Associates, a company she founded 16 years ago. There, she partners with organizations to achieve sustainable growth by strengthening commercial capabilities and transforming leadership cultures. Before founding Hines + Associates, she became one of the first Black women to serve as Vice President of Customer Business Development at Procter & Gamble and later played a pivotal role in revitalizing magazines Ebony and Jet as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Johnson Publishing Company. More recently, as Vice President Commercial Excellence at Johnson Controls, she led global growth initiatives and large-scale organizational transformation. She earned a degree in business administration at Marquette.
Maurice Thomas
Maurice Thomas is chief operating officer at Greater Holy Temple Christian Academy, a 4k-8th grade Christian school in Milwaukee. He got his start as a member of Teach for America, teaching high school history in Atlanta before becoming the program director of Teach for America in Atlanta and later executive director of Teach for America in Milwaukee. In 2015 he founded Milwaukee Excellence Academy, a charter school that he directed until it merged with Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy, where he stayed on as chief development officer until October 2025. He is also president and partner with Forward 48, a Milwaukee-based leadership development program. He was named to Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2019. He is an alum of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and expects to earn a master’s degree in education leadership from Harvard in 2027.
Dr. Damira Grady-Saffold
Dr. Damira Grady-Saffold is Vice President of Culture, Climate, and Community Impact at Madison College. Previously, she served as associate vice-chancellor of academic support for inclusive excellence and university diversity officer at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and director of student accommodations and interpreting services as Milwaukee Area Technical College. Dr. Grady holds a bachelor’s degree in educational studies and a master’s degree in educational psychology with an emphasis in community counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She earned a doctorate in the advancement of learning and service in higher education from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee.
Jerry Jordan
Jerry Jordan is a nationally-known painter working in the style of contemporary realism. He counts the unsung artists of the Harlem Renaissance as his artistic role models. His work has been shown in galleries and exhibitions in Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago over more than a decade. He has also illustrated children’s books, including “Ida B Wells Marches for the Vote” and “Unstoppable John,” a biography of John Lewis. By day, Jordan is an academic and multicultural advisor with the UW-Madison School of Education. He holds a degree in art from UW-Whitewater.
Dr. Bashir Easter
Dr. Bashir Easter is founder of Melanin Minded, a company that aims to empower Black and Latino communities by culturally appropriate resources and support for individuals affected by Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. He developed Navigator Transportation, a transportation service specifically for people with dementia and their caregiver, and launched Bridge Youth Program to train and certify adolescent caregivers to equip them with skills and knowledge to support family members with dementia. He began his career in elder care nearly 15 years ago with Milwaukee County as an elder abuse investigator, human services worker, and dementia care program specialist, and later served as associate director of the All of Us Research Program at UW-Madison. He earned an associate’s degree at Milwaukee Area Technical College, a bachelor’s degree at Cardinal Stritch, an MBA and Concordia University-Wisconsin and a doctorate at Capella University.
Part Two coming tomorrow!
