Michele L. Watley

Michele L. Watley is the founder and owner of The Griot Group, a consulting practice that partners with clients to bring together the people, institutions and resources necessary to create impact through strategic communications and advocacy. She is a results-driven practitioner that has worked with candidates and organizations across the U.S., representing a vast range of political ideologies at the federal, state, and local levels of government.

During the 2016 electoral cycle, Watley served as the national African American outreach political director for Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and as the statewide political director for Koster for Missouri. In both roles Watley successfully targeted voters to build broad coalitions of support within communities that were not previously engaged. Prior to the 2016 campaign season, Watley served as a regional director for Missouri Secretary of State, Jason Kander.

The fall 2021 discussion group series will examine how the political issues, leaders, and events of the past couple years have brought us to our current political climate and explore how these factors will impact the upcoming 2022 election season.

Discussion Group Topic
What’s the Matter with American Politics: How Fake News, Black Women, COVID-19, Presidents 45 and 46, and Protests Might Shape Politics in 2022