Employment Connection is celebrating Women’s History Month this March by honoring local leaders in the St. Louis region. Today we recognize Alisha Sonnier, activist and member of the Board of Education of the City of St. Louis.
Alisha Sonnier is a leader, visionary, organizer, activist, and scholar who is passionate and dedicated to all things community empowerment and liberation. She was born and raised in St. Louis, MO, where her commitment to community comes naturally and dates back to her early adolescence.
A major catalyst for Alisha’s community involvement was the murder of Michael Brown in 2014, during the first year of her undergraduate studies. At the age of eighteen, she co-founded the organization “Tribe X,” with a mission to “educate, organize, and empower.” She quickly rose to regional prominence through her organizing, activism, and scholarly work.
Alisha has continued to grow her strengths to include political action and strategy while exploring the intersection of politics, power, and oppression. She became heavily involved in numerous campaigns in St. Louis including “Fight for 15,” women’s rights, racial justice, and helping to support and elevate other local and national leaders. Much of Alisha’s work is documented in major publications such as the St. Louis American and the New York Times. She continues to organize locally and nationally around several issues including criminal justice, healthcare, and other issues that tie in with her overall mission of liberation.
In addition to serving as the youngest elected official in the City of Saint Louis as a member of the Board of Education, she works as a mental health advocate for a global health organization and is the co-founder of BlackTea. BlackTea is a media organization available on all major streaming platforms with the mission of raising political, social, and cultural consciousness while engaging and entertaining listeners/viewers.
Alisha graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is currently pursuing a nursing degree with the goal of gaining an intricate understanding of the healthcare system and policy and becoming a licensed clinician. Alisha is committed to building power for and by the people and using this power as a tool to implement massive systems changes that directly and positively impact the community.
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