Kyerra Johnson: Chief of
Staff, Missouri Senate
Originally from east St. Louis, Illinois, Kyerra Johnson has proven herself to be a promising leader in her career and her community.
Kyerra has a passion for advocating for mental health awareness. She is often part of forums, speaking about mental health and related issues. Kyerra knows the impact of mental illness and domestic violence as she lost her mother and stepfather in a homicide-suicide at the age of 8.
“It was a tragic story,” Kyerra says. “We meant something to the community. My brother and I were trying to figure out how to deal with something that excruciating.”
Kyerra put her pain into purpose by creating the We Speak Foundation, a Christ-centered volunteer organization that helps communities across America fight poverty and strives to develop resources for communities in need. The We Speak Foundation provides information on local community resources and takes on difficult conversations, such as suicide prevention, mental health awareness, and domestic violence, to better future communities.
One of the foundation’s programs is Journaling for Joy. The program is geared for kids ages 6-13 to teach them positive journaling habits. As a child, Kyerra was an avid journaler and experienced firsthand the healing benefits of writing words on a page. Journaling for Joy is geared toward empowering children to find joy and fulfillment while learning how to write prompts and conduct questions to get them into the habit of turning to journaling for exploration and self-examination.
Kyerra credits having consistent people in her life, such as her grandmother and community members, as a critical element in starting the We Speak Foundation. East St. Louis is called “the City of Champions,” and that mantra helps Kyerra continue to show up every day.
“It was embedded in our community to have the heart of a champion,” Kyerra says. “You may not have won, but you didn’t give up. You keep fighting for it because you realize there is victory in giving it your all.”
Through Kyerra’s volunteer efforts, she’s learned that there are situations out in the world bigger than her own and that she isn’t alone. She’s also learned that everyone deals conflict and controversy in their lives.
“Sometimes, we need to show that we care,” she says. “When creating the We Speak Foundation, our baseline was being able to volunteer, work with people, care, and not want anything in return.”
Kyerra believes that if her parents had more access to safe mental health practices and if the topic wasn’t taboo in their community, her parents would be alive today.
“There is no certificate of completion on trauma,” Kyerra says. “Every day is a battle.”
Kyerra’s advice to young professionals is to never stop talking because of the trauma they have gone through in their lives. Holding experiences inside not only hurts oneself but also others.
“Talk about it because everything you’re going through is a testimony for somebody else,” Kyerra says.