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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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2023-01-01 |
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| Name | Kyra deGruy Kennedy |
| Address |
Lakewood, Colorado , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
Unknown
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| Contributor | BrentinCO |
| Last Modifed | BrentinCO
Apr 11, 2023 01:37pm |
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| Info | Working as a care manager for diabetic patients, I saw firsthand the barriers the health delivery system created for patients, and knew I wanted to dig into larger system reform work. I got my start in policy through a federal health policy nonprofit that gave me incredible opportunities to grow, learn and lead with them.
In the past decade, I’ve:
Run the Rocky Mountain chapter of a policy and advocacy organization dedicated to lifting up young adults furthest from power and privilege to lead in their communities;
Led the government affairs department for MSU Denver, an institution dedicated to serving first-generation, underrepresented minority, and Pell-eligible students;
Run numerous campaigns, including supporting the passage of Jeffco’s 5A/5B mill bond to fund our public schools;
Contracted with institutions and organizations on strategic planning and leadership;
Been a chairwoman of our house district;
Been a state committee member of the Working Families Party;
Been a co-chairwoman of the Collaborative Community Response (CCR) Initiative program, bridging community leadership with primary care, public health, mental health care, and social services across our state;
Been a mentor for close to 100 women struggling with trauma, addiction, or eating disorders.
Over these years, I’ve been honored to lead and support the passage of many progressive and innovative policies at the state level, often with bipartisan support. Several that I’m most proud of passing are:
The first bill in the country to give students the option of whether to submit their national test scores (ACT or SAT) to all Colorado public institutions of higher education. Research has clearly shown that the SAT and ACT aren’t predictors of college success, but rather are predictors of privilege at home.
A program requiring all Colorado public higher education institutions to cover the cost of college, including wrap-around success supports, for young people who grew up in the foster system.
A policy which required insurance companies to cover an annual mental health exam in the same way they’re required to cover an annual physical.
A policy which removed lawful presence verification in order for folks to get credentials. We heard over and over that DACA recipients in our network were graduating from college and were unable to receive credentials to practice in the fields they’d studied due to their documentation status.
A $100m budget amendment that funded institutions of higher education serving first-generation, underrepresented minority and Pell-eligible students.
In addition to the policies I’ve mentioned here, I’ve been lucky to work on over 50 bills in the past several years. Sometimes through organizing storytelling or communications, sometimes through lobbying and advocacy, and sometimes through running a full campaign.
This work has truly been the honor of my life.
It’s been even more meaningful for me because of the challenges I faced during my adolescence. When I was 12, I was the victim of a violent sexual assault and my trajectory for the next decade or so went off course. I attempted suicide more than once, and for many years numbed my pain and experienced more violent traumas.
These years were the beginning of my education about how systems built only for people who look like me have been the foundation of this country. I started to see the difference in how mental health professionals and the police treated me as opposed to my Black and Brown friends. I watched doors open for me, as they slammed shut for my peers of color. I saw white kids get sent to hospitals for the same things Black kids were sent to jail for. I started to realize that, regardless of how hard I worked, I was always going to be 10 steps ahead. I’ve dedicated my life and my work to dismantling those systems and rebuilding them in a more equitable and just way.
Our culture doesn’t teach us that when systems aren’t working for us, we should and can change them. We aren’t taught how to engage in policy and advocacy, or how to use our voices and our authentic stories to change minds. We aren’t taught why being engaged and involved matters, and in some cases, we’re encouraged not to engage. Not to fight back. Not to make noise. Not to be too much. As your next State Representative, I will work to build systems that have equity at their center. And I will continue to engage deeply with the people most affected by the policies I run to ensure I’m getting it right. Helping people find and use their voice to change policies is my north star, and I hope you’ll join me as I do that in the State Capitol.
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