Shannon Wright was born at the height of the 20th Century Civil Rights movement. Many of these experiences went into shaping who Shannon has become today, because of the way her family taught her the lessons they learned. Shannon saw her own family’s progression from living in the projects, to home ownership – this path in her life has given her a unique perspective into the good and the bad of welfare, the distribution of wealth, and equality versus equity. She knows where people are, where some have moved from, and how it impacts communities and interactions between the diverse communities within the city. Her life has given her many of the experiences that Baltimore residents live daily. Who better to lead than someone who understands?

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Shannon was raised to understand the importance of giving back and community service. She worked with several nonprofit community organizations and was able to gain a clear perspective of the fallout from lack of equality and equity in Black communities. Her work lead her to be a negotiator on a $300M desegregation settlement on behalf of the NAACP allowing her the opportunity to work under the organizational leadership of then NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, NAACP President Kwesi Mfume, and NAACP Board Member and civil rights activist Hazel Dukes. During this time Shannon got to meet with then New Orleans Mayor and current leader of the National Urban League, Marc Morial to get an even better understanding of the core issues plaguing many Black cities. In continuing her community work Shannon was asked to develop a new strategy for block grant funding coming out of the federal government and going into community organizations. She continues to work in Baltimore and lobby the Federal government to change policies to be able to genuinely lift up and turn around Baltimore. Shannon has always been actively involved in community improvement (city cleanups, community gardens, and school drives to name a few) and is no stranger to the community at large as a pastor, radio personality, and a youth advisor. Shannon is the New Direction Baltimore needs.