Kimberly Jones Merchant is a legal strategist, nonprofit leader, and justice advocate with nearly three decades of experience advancing racial and economic justice nationally and across the state of Mississippi. She now serves as the President and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Justice (MCJ), leading a statewide team of attorneys and professionals who represent and advocate on behalf of Mississippians by integrating litigation, policy advocacy, and direct legal services to advance systemic change.
Prior to this role, Kimberly led the private firm of Kimberly Jones Merchant P.A. as principal, where she served as City Attorney for Indianola and Greenville, Mississippi, as well as Board Counsel for the Hollandale School District. Through her consulting practice, KEA Collaborative, Merchant offered specialized training and consulting services focused on race equity, organizational strategy, leadership, and advocacy.
Merchant has been a featured speaker on race equity and justice at numerous national conferences and events. Her work has helped organizations examine how race equity is reflected in their internal practices, leadership, and external advocacy.
She is the former Senior Director of Advocate Resources and Training and first-ever Director of the Racial Justice Institute and Network at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, where she provided strategic oversight for the growth and expansion of the annual Racial Justice Institute and its alumni advocacy network. Earlier in her career, she led MCJ’s Educational Opportunities Campaign and served as Managing Attorney of its Delta Office, where she worked on issues affecting children, families, and communities across Mississippi.
Merchant is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, where she earned a B.S. in English, and the University of Mississippi School of Law, where she earned her J.D.
