BRENDA KNIGHT

board member

Brenda Knight is the Founder of Ladies in Red, a Women’s Empowerment Group that provides “Motivation, Education and Inspiration” to women as tools to live and love life. Ladies In Red started with 30 ladies coming together to empower one another. Twenty-five years later, more than 1000+ women have been touched by the organization. 

Ms. Knight is a national leader in education, serving as board member of the California Community College Trustees (CCCT) and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT).  In 2002, Ms. Knight made history by becoming the first African American woman to be elected as Chairman of the Board for the Association of Community Colleges Trustees.  

Ms. Knight has been featured in many local, state and national publications, including Black Issues in Higher Education, Essence, Black Enterprise and the San Francisco Chronicle. She has had two special invitations to the White House and numerous recognitions and awards from city, county and state governments. She was designated as Oakland’s 1995 Woman of the Year and was recognized by the Board of Governors of the State of California for her contributions in education.

At the age of 50, Ms. Knight graduated, with honors, from Laney Community College with an Associate of Arts Degree in Social Sciences. She received her B.A. in Management from Saint Mary’s College and was the Commencement speaker for her own graduation.