Waikinya Clanton will be the Special Guest Speaker for the Mississippi Democratic Women on Saturday, April 5th. The Tea Luncheon is an informative yet elegant gathering where our Senator and House Representative provide insights into the legislative session.
Hear firsthand from Senator Rod Hickman and House Representative Carl Mickens about the latest legislative session, key policy updates, and what it all means for our community. Registration begins at 12:30 pm, and the program starts at 1:00 pm from 2:00pm.
Each Democratic Women Member welcome guests to their table of charcuterie board and appetizer. Lunch will be provided: build your own pasta with cheese and a selection of meats, served with a caesar salad and garlic bread.
Waikinya Clanton is a prominent leader in social impact and community engagement, currently serving as the Director of Mississippi at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Recognized as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Black People in America by The Root 100, she dedicates nearly two decades of public service experience to dismantling hate and advocating for justice. Her strategic leadership at SPLC focuses on policy development, legal strategies, and community organizing, fostering equity and acceptance throughout Mississippi and beyond.
In her previous role as CEO of WJS Consulting, LLC, Clanton provided strategic guidance on social impact investments, developing multicultural engagement strategies for high-profile clients. As a Senior Advisor at the Democratic National Committee, she expanded diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, enhancing political and community engagement across diverse constituencies.
Clanton holds a master’s in business administration from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Tougaloo College. Certifications from Cornell University and Yale University are evidence of her ongoing commitment to learning. Her work inspires and uplifts leaders, making her a sought-after voice in social equity and justice.
Heralded as one of the nation's most effective engagement strategists and brilliant political minds, Clanton has served as senior advisor to some of the country’s top political leaders and is now championing justice from the frontlines of injustice in the Deep South.
The former nonprofit executive led one of the nation’s premier organizations for Black women political leaders, the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women; and served as a senior advisor under two chairmen at the Democratic National Committee. As Executive Director, she successfully managed its majority-female staff, revitalized its training program for women in political, corporate, and nonprofit leadership, and created its signature STEM program for young girls, Girls, Gigabytes, and Gadgets.
This seasoned Chief Political Strategist, is a nationally recognized leader, having been ranked as the 42nd most influential African American in the United States in 2022 by The Root. She was also named as one of the Top 50 Women in Business in the State of Mississippi by the Mississippi Business Journal.
In 2019, Clanton was recognized by the State of Tennessee as a Rising Star by proclamation and honored with the National Rosa Parks Day Award, selected as one of emPower magazine’s, emPower Players of DC, and was an inaugural recipient of Tougaloo College’s 40 Under 40 Alumni Awards and named Outstanding Young Alumni by the United Negro College Fund. Clanton is also the founder of Who’s Who of MS Women and is a Black Church Digital Equity Fellow with the Multicultural Media, Telecom, and Internet Council as well as a Public Policy Fellow with the Eric H. Holder Public Policy Institute at Tougaloo College. She is also the inventor of the new card game, Quonvo.
