Pastor Brenda Mitchell

Brenda Mitchell is the State Chapter Co-Leader for Moms Demand Action in Illinois and a Fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network. In 2005, Mitchell’s 31-year-old son, Kenneth, was shot and killed outside a bar one week after his younger brother Kevin left for his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. A single parent, Kenneth left behind 3 sons.

Since her son’s death, Mitchell has become a dedicated advocate for gun violence prevention with an emphasis on trauma. She serves on the Everytown Faith Advisory Council (she is an ordained pastor), is a complicated grief counselor, and holds certification as a mindfulness counselor. In addition to her work with Everytown, she is an active member with the gun violence advocacy organization Purpose Over Pain, headquartered in the South Side of Chicago. She has also volunteered as a survivor on a committee with the Mayor’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention.