Pivot Fund Grantee Kansas City Defender Names New Editor

The Kansas City Defender used part of its new grant from The Pivot Fund to hire its first full-time editorial hire, Mili Mansaray, as its new Editor & Director of Radical Media Initiatives. Committed to fearless and unapologetic community-centered journalism, the Defender is widely lauded for pioneering an innovative dual editorial-community programs model—one of the many reasons we proudly partner with them.

Mili Mansaray, a Sierra Leonean-American journalist from Columbia, South Carolina, brings a wealth of experience to her new role. She comes to the Defender from The Kansas City Beacon, where she reported on housing and labor.

“I joined the organization because I believe the dual model they’ve created is the future of the field — not just reporting on the issues disenfranchising people but also actively working to address said issues,” Mansaray said.  “Feeding our people, clothing our people, preserving our histories, and ensuring Black freedom remains non-negotiable are all integral to the Defender’s mission. The publication fully rejects the outdated traditional journalism models that keep oppressive systems in place. I became a journalist to create change, and I’m eager to bring my investigative expertise to an organization that understands media as a tool for liberation.”

A graduate of New York University with a degree in digital journalism, Africana studies, and Spanish, Mansaray most recently reported on housing and labor issues for The Beacon, where she documented the concentration of housing ownership by corporate interests and explored challenges to Kansas City’s homeless shelter capacity. Mansaray received training through the Solutions Journalism Network labor cohort. She also studied in Argentina and worked as a Dow Jones News Fund business reporting intern. Mansaray has lived in Kansas City since 2022.

A Stronger Team

With Mansaray leading the editorial vision, the Defender is reinforcing its commitment to investigative journalism and audience engagement. Her leadership will help shape the Defender’s approach to reporting stories that matter most to Black Kansas Citians and beyond.

“In this era of unprecedented state violence and hyper-saturated information ecosystem, Mili is precisely what our organization needs – a battle-tested reporter deeply rooted in the radical Black press tradition,” said Ryan Sorrell, founder of The Kansas City Defender. “As we transform from a scrappy one-person startup into a full-scale radical Black media institution, her rigorous journalism experience, deep commitment to building community with everyday Black folks, and vision for dismantling and re-imagining the fields of media and journalism perfectly aligns with our liberatory mission.”

Mansaray is The Defender’s second full-time hire already in 2025, following the hiring of Khadijah Bland, Director of Revenue & Development. 

Impactful Storytelling

The Defender continues to spotlight racist systems and institutions of power impacting Black communities, producing investigative stories and launching social media content that resonates particularly with Gen Z audiences. The addition of Mansaray brings the first “formally trained” editorial experience to the organization, according to Sorrell. 

Community Building & Collaboration

The Defender prioritizes building trust with its audience by:

• Engaging directly with the community through their community survival programs
• Hosting various events including book clubs, popular education, and live music events.
• Partnering with local BIPOC grassroots organizations

Securing Resources for Growth

In 2024, the Defender secured $300,000 in grants, including $150,000 from The Pivot Fund, enabling them to expand operations and community initiatives. These resources will help sustain and grow the Defender’s ability to provide in-depth reporting and advocacy journalism that makes a difference.

Looking ahead, the Defender aims to:

• Deepen and expand their investigative reporting into housing justice, education, and health.
• Launch their writing-intensive Abolitionist Freedom School on February 15th
• Launch a YouTube news video production
• Acquire its first physical headquarters by inheriting Missouri’s oldest and longest-standing Black-owned bookstore
• Hire a Black Business & Entertainment Reporter in the Spring
• Establish a program to train young people with no prior journalism experience to ensure they have access to the tools needed to enter the field with a community-first approach. 
• Implement a solutions journalism cohort to train editorial staff in solutions reporting that empowers readers to take a stake in their communities. 

Inspiring Success

The Defender’s groundbreaking investigative series on housing discrimination earned national recognition and strengthened community ties. This success underscores the transformative power of mission-driven journalism.

The Kansas City Defender has reported on housing discrimination in Kansas City, Missouri, including an ordinance that prohibits source-of-income discrimination. The ordinance was passed in January 2024 and took effect in August 2024.