MARKASA TUCKER-HARRIS

Markasa Tucker-Harris is the Executive Director of the African American Roundtable, a project of Hmong American Women's Association, a nonprofit that advocates for social justice. Markasa joined the African American Roundtable in 2014 as a member while joining the grassroots efforts of Dontre Hamilton's family.  Hamilton was murdered in April 2014 by a Milwaukee police officer.  Her grassroots organizing experience aligned her with more deeply engaging with the community and became the co-chair of the African American Roundtable in 2016.  After helping to develop an initial platform of work for AART and funding opportunities she was promoted to director and in 2021 promoted again to executive director. 

Her love and passion for people and injustice grounds her as she helps to lead the coalition of community leaders and organizations that works to improve civic engagement, with a focus on organizing people to build power.  In 2019 she helped co-found the LiberateMKE campaign asking for investment into communities and an equitable city budget. 

Tucker also has a background in media relations that included working on the assignment desk at WISN and CBS 58 along with her time at 620 WTMJ as a radio producer.  She is a former member of the National Association of Black Journalists and served as secretary and president of the Wisconsin Black Media Association. Tucker has her bachelor or arts degree in mass communications from Grambling State University where she graduated Cum Laude and is the current president of the GSU Alumni Milwaukee Chapter.  The GSU Greater Milwaukee Chapter exists to financially support current and future GSU students from the Greater Milwaukee area.  She is also the founder of The Alternative, Inc a Christian arts and community engagement organization.