About Dr. Jaketra Bryant
It’s time for real leadership in Columbus.
Dr. Jaketra Bryant is a mother, community advocate, therapist, and proven leader committed to serving people first. Her work is grounded in a deep understanding of individuals, families, and communities—and what it takes to help them thrive.
Dr. Bryant earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Community Counseling, and a PhD in Leadership. Her academic and professional background equips her with the tools to address complex challenges with compassion, accountability, and effective solutions.
Rooted in service and driven by purpose, Dr. Bryant leads with empathy and action. Her vision for Columbus is centered on healing families, strengthening communities, and building a city where every resident has the opportunity to succeed.
Why I’m Running
I’m running for Mayor of Columbus because leadership should be rooted in truth, courage, and an unwavering commitment to people.
I am a mother, a wife, an artist, a therapist, a truth-teller, and a born leader, one who refuses to conform to anything that dims my authenticity or my power. I am the youngest of five children, born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, where courage and resilience were not just taught, but lived.
My mother was one of the children arrested at just thirteen years old during the historic Birmingham Marches. Young people were sent to the front lines so their parents could keep working, carrying the weight of justice on their shoulders. That legacy of bravery, sacrifice, and disciplined resistance lives in me. It shaped how I see the world and how I show up in it.
Even as a child, I felt called to protect and to lead. At four years old, I walked my older sister to the bus stop to make sure she was safe. I was never afraid to speak up, never afraid to challenge, and never afraid to be the voice when silence was easier.
I was gifted and endlessly curious—finishing my schoolwork early, questioning every rule, and pushing back against systems that didn’t make sense. As I grew older, I became the student who asked the hard questions, challenged race-based norms, explored the spaces I was told not to enter, and refused to shrink myself into what the world believed a little Black girl from the South should be.
I often felt out of place not because I didn’t belong, but because I was born ahead of my time. Freedom became my core value long before I had the language to name it.
I’m running for Mayor because Columbus deserves leadership that is bold, honest, and people-centered. Leadership that understands our history, confronts injustice, and has the courage to build something better. I believe in a Columbus that heals families, strengthens communities, and creates space for every person to live fully, freely, and with dignity. I’m ready to lead that work.