Ameshia Cross. (LinkedIn)
There are many voices in politics and some are more respected than others. Ameshia Cross is gaining popularity as the latter. Here are five things to know about the rising political analyst.
Ameshia Cross’ popularity may be rapidly expanding, but she is no novice in the political space. According to her online bio, Cross doubles as the director of strategic communications and external affairs at The Education Trust.
The Education Trust “works to close opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect students of color and students from low-income families,” its mission states.
Cross has also worked with and for various nonprofits and politicians, including Caldwell Strategic Consulting, the National Black Child Development Institute, Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges of Chicago, and more.
She’s also worked in communications for former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Al Gore and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Intelligent and outspoken, Cross has appeared as a political commentator on several networks. They include BBC, NBC, C-Span, Hill TV, SiriusXM, iHeart Radio, WVON1690 and more. Before it folded, she was a fill-in host and commentator on the Black News Channel.
Issues like student debt relief, race and equity, bail reform and other policy issues are among the issues Cross is passionate about.
She isn’t hesitant to take a stance on controversial issues like the “Blame Black Men” trend some have made popular on Twitter when Democrat candidates lose.
“No big surprise here. There were several missteps in the Abrams camp that began months ago. I’m just hopeful that when the autopsy for this race is complete, Black men aren’t scapegoats,” Cross tweeted after Stacey Abrams lost her rematch against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
According to one of her bios, Cross was born in Chicago and raised in Mississippi. She said she lost her mother, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, after she had a manic episode. Instead of taking her mother to a treatment center, Cross said her mother was arrested.
While incarcerated, Cross said her family found out her mother had Stage 4 colon cancer and she died alone in 2006 on the floor of a Mississippi jail cell.
“She was going through a manic episode, and instead of getting mental health support, she was arrested,” Cross explained during an interview. “My Mom spent a year-and-a-half in jail not being charged with anything, largely because, honestly, my family was poor. We couldn’t afford bail.”
“Our nation has, for the longest, used our jails and prison systems as mental health facilities. These are not cold or hardened criminals; these are people who need help,” Cross continued. “And instead of providing that help and getting them resources and ensuring that they live healthy and productive lives, we incarcerate them.”
Education is very important to Ameshia Cross. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from Roosevelt University and a bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism from Belmont University.
She graduated with summa cum laude honors from Belmont.
“My mom instilled the importance of education at an early age. Though she was a single mom and my family relied on various social welfare programs, the window of opportunity that my mom evangelized regularly was education,” Cross said.
“As I reached adulthood and learned more about the structural racism inherent in the public education system, I became as determined as my mom to ensure equity in access and provide that window of opportunity to young people who grew up in circumstances like mine,” Cross continued.
Cross’ Instagram bio says she is a “Future US Senator ” and “Former Miss Black Chicago USA.”
