KhaDijah Lakesi is a community-centered professional dedicated to building equity, justice, and participatory democracy in Tennessee and the South. A graduate of “Big Blue” Tennessee State University, she has devoted her career to creating pathways where individuals and communities can thrive through collaboration, advocacy, and collective power.

Her professional background spans policy analysis, client advocacy, and business development—skills she now leverages to support grassroots organizing and community transformation. Khadijah has consistently worked at the intersection of problem-solving and relationship-building, ensuring that systems and structures are more accessible, transparent, and accountable to the people they serve.

Deeply aligned with the mission of the Southern Movement Committee (SMC), Khadijah is committed to dismantling systemic racism, challenging economic inequality, and advancing transformative justice. She believes in the power of self-governance, co-leadership, and community-led solutions, with a particular passion for engaging youth and marginalized voices in shaping the policies that impact their lives.

Grounded, adaptable, and resilient, KhaDijah reflects both professional excellence and a lived dedication to racial justice and civic engagement. She continues to invest her time and skills in building spaces where communities not only survive but thrive—governing themselves, protecting one another, and reimagining what democracy in the South can look like.