Derecka Purnell

Derecka Purnell is an American lawyer, writer, and organizer. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, she received her bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and her jurisprudence degree from Harvard Law School. Purnell became politically active during college, advocating for police reform after the killing of Trayvon Martin and organizing during the Ferguson Uprising following Michael Brown's death. She is known for her 2021 memoir, Becoming Abolitionists, which garnered positive reviews from Boston Review, PEN America, Kirkus, and others. As a human rights lawyer and writer, Purnell supports the defunding of the police to redirect funds towards essential services like housing and healthcare. She is also a co-author of the policy proposal #8ToAbolition.