VOCAL-KY is a left-of-center advocacy group that promotes policy for social and economic justice while advocating solutions towards stopping mass incarceration, providing affordable housing, and HIV/AIDS prevention. ¹

The group campaigns on community issues by promoting housing rights, reforming the state of Kentucky’s criminal justice system, expanding access to affordable housing, and implementing harm reduction services such as syringe exchanges and overdose prevention programs. ²

VOCAL-KY’s work focuses on community organizing and civic engagement, ³ while its activism includes lobbying for Medicaid expansion as well as proving opportunities for incarcerated individuals such as  access to health care and stable housing. ⁴

Activities

On August 15, 2024, VOCAL-KY activists voiced opposition to Kentucky House Bill 5 (HB5) which outlawed camping and sleeping in public spaces. ⁵ Vocal-KY executive director Shameka Parrish-Wright claimed, “we have law enforcement that’s connecting people to services and care…but the aggressiveness in the way that law enforcement has been using to target people, we cannot watch that happen.” ⁵

In July 2025, VOCAL-KY was one of over 600 nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to sign a letter opposing a ruling by the House Homeland Security Committee in June 2025 demanding the financial records of over 200 NGOs accused of assisting the Biden Administration in settling migrants into the United States. ^{6 7} Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) and Subcommittee Chairman Josh Brecheen (R-OK) commented in a letter sent to the NGOs in question claiming the Committee was “deeply concerned that NGOs that receive U.S. taxpayer dollars benefitted from the border crisis created by the Biden Administration, and stand ready to do so under future Democrat administrations.” ⁷ The letter signed by over 600 NGOs and non-profits claimed the Committee’s ruling targets “civic organizations that have provided services under valid federal contracts that were authorized and appropriated by Congress…[t]his effort appears to be an attempt to weaponize Congressional power and create the appearance of wrongdoing against those who the signers believe disagree with their political agenda.” ⁶

Leadership

Shameka Parrish-Wright is the executive director of VOCAL-KY, serving in the position since 2022.  ^{8 9} Prior to this, Wright worked as a partnership and advocacy manager for nonprofit group Bail Project from 2019 to 2022. ^{10 11}

1. VOCAL-KY. “About Us.” Accessed September 24, 2024. https://vocal-ky.org/about-us/.
2. Prison Policy Initiative. “Kentucky Profile.” Accessed September 24, 2024. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/profiles/KY.html#:~:text=Kentucky%20has%20an%20incarceration%20rate,than%20any%20democracy%20on%20earth.
3. Kentucky Lantern. “Kentucky Bill Decriminalizing Fentanyl Test Strips Heads to Governor’s Desk.” Kentucky Lantern, March 16, 2023. https://kentuckylantern.com/briefs/kentucky-bill-decriminalizing-fentanyl-test-strips-heads-to-governors-desk/
4. Kentucky Chamber. “House Passes Bill to Ensure Quality Recovery Housing in Kentucky.” The Bottom Line, March 7, 2023. https://kychamberbottomline.com/2023/03/07/house-passes-bill-to-ensure-quality-recovery-housing-in-kentucky/.
5. Spectrum News 1. “VOCAL-KY Marks 2 Years Since Offering Roadmap to Reduce Overdose Deaths.” August 15, 2024. https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2024/08/15/vocal-ky-marks-2-years-since-offering-roadmap-to-reduce-overdose-deaths.
6. “Solidarity with Targeted Non Profits.” Muslim Legal Fund of America, July 15, 2025. https://mlfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/07.15-Solidarity-with-Targeted-NonProfits-_1_.pdf
7. Christenson, Josh. “House panel demands records of more than 200 NGOs that nabbed billions of taxpayer dollars to ‘fuel’ border crisis.” New York Post, June 10, 2025. https://nypost.com/2025/06/10/us-news/house-panel-demands-records-of-over-200-ngos-that-nabbed-billions-of-taxpayer-dollars-to-fuel-border-crisis/
8.   Shameka Parrish-Wright, LinkedIn profile, accessed September 24, 2024, https://www.linkedin.com/in/shameka-parrish-wright-b58432b/.
9. VOCAL-KY, “About Us,” accessed September 24, 2024, https://www.vocal-ky.org/about.
10. LinkedIn. “Shameka Parrish-Wright.” Accessed September 24, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/shameka-parrish-wright-b58432b/.
11. The Bail Project. “Vision.” Accessed September 24, 2024. https://bailproject.org/vision/.