Zerline Hughes Spruill

Zerline Hughes Spruill leads the organization’s communications team in an effort to effectively shift the narrative on racial justice issues, coordinate organizational branding, and manage content production. A former newspaper reporter and copy editor, Zerline’s writings have been featured in publications including the Los Angeles Times, Ebony Magazine, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, and USA Today.

Using her newsroom experience, Zerline led local and national communications outreach campaigns surrounding disenfranchisement, drug policy, pardon and juvenile justice legislation at The Sentencing Project and Justice Policy Institute as director of communications. As a consultant, she worked on communications campaigns for social justice organizations including Bread for the World, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, and the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. A former adjunct professor at Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism and Communications in Baltimore, Zerline holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and photography from Howard University and a Master’s of Science degree in communication management from Simmons College.

Zerline loves to dance, promote self-care, and teach Zumba Fitness.