Brenda Jones was the first African American to head the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri (ACLU-EM) from 2004 to 2013. During her tenure Ms. Jones transformed the organization, moving it from “a small insular group” into an organization that became “a national strategic affiliate.” She was able to double the staff, triple its operating budget, increase the number of cases the organization handled, and shortly before she retired, merged the ACLU-EM and ACLU-WM into one organization.

Ms. Jones has a long career of achievement in various fields. As Community Relations Manager of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, she initiated a successful outreach program that resulted in increasing the diversity of the orchestra’s audience and founded the IN UNISON Chorus, a 120-voice ensemble focusing on the music of “African-American and African Cultures.” As Director of Communications for the Missouri Botanical Gardens, she was charged with similar goals of increasing diversity of visitors and was responsible for creating the George Washington Carver Garden. Ms. Jones also held leading positions with The Institute for Peace and Justice, and the Missouri Arts Council’s African American Cultural Initiative. Ms. Jones’s entire career, regardless of field, has focused on diversity and inclusion.

Brenda Lee Jones was born and reared in St. Louis Missouri. She graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and attended Temple University in Philadelphia. She stated that she developed a love of literature as a child and had the goal of becoming a writer. She worked for a brief time at Freedomways Magazine, the chief organ of the African-American left, while living in New York shortly after her graduation from College. As of 2020, she is pursuing a writing career.