Ameshia Cross

Ameshia Cross is a nationally recognized communications strategist, public policy expert, political commentator and advocate whose career spans media, government, education, politics and social impact. She serves as Director of Strategic Communications and External Affairs at EdTrust, where she leads national communications and public affairs strategies focused on advancing educational equity, strengthening opportunity and elevating the voices of students and communities too often left out of policy conversations.

A sought-after commentator on politics, public policy, education, civil rights and issues affecting Black communities, Cross has appeared across CNN, MS NOW, NBC News, CBS News, BBC and NewsNation. She is also a contributor to The Daily Beast and Newsweek and a host on SiriusXM, bringing both policy expertise and lived perspective to conversations shaping the national agenda.

Throughout her career, Cross has advised elected officials, nonprofit executives, advocacy organizations and political campaigns on communications, policy, public engagement and narrative strategy. She previously served as an adviser to President Barack Obama’s campaign and has held leadership roles advancing education, youth development, racial equity and criminal justice reform. Across those roles, her work has centered on translating complex policy issues into accessible public narratives and building strategies that move communities and institutions toward meaningful change.

A proud native of Chicago’s South Side, Cross earned her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in political science and journalism from Belmont University and a Master of Public Administration from Roosevelt University. A former Miss Black Chicago, she has remained committed to elevating Black voices, developing future leaders and expanding access to opportunity—bringing the perspective of her hometown and a career devoted to public service to her work on the national stage.