The Kansas City Defender used part of its new grant from The Pivot Fund to hire its first full-time editorial hire, Mili Mansaray, as its new editor and director of Radical Media Initiatives. Committed to fearless and unapologetic community-centered journalism, the Defender is widely lauded for pioneering an innovative dual editorial-community programs model — one of the many reasons we proudly partner with them.
Mansaray, a Sierra Leonean-American journalist from Columbia, South Carolina, brings a wealth of experience to her new role. She comes to the Defender from The Kansas City Beacon, where she reported on housing and labor.
“I joined the organization because I believe the dual model they've created is the future of the field — not just reporting but feeding our people, clothing our people, preserving our histories, and ensuring Black freedom remains non-negotiable,” said Mansaray. “It is a complete rejection of outdated traditional journalism models, and I’m eager to bring my investigative expertise to an organization that understands media as a tool for liberation.”
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