A native of Vacherie, Louisiana, I graduated from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center as a licensed and certified clinical laboratory scientist. In 2016, I founded Operation Restoration, a New Orleans-based nonprofit that works to support women and girls impacted by incarceration to recognize their full potential, restore their lives, and discover new possibilities.
I am recognized nationally for my work on dismantling the legal system and removing barriers for women and girls impacted by incarceration while transitioning back into the community. I serve on numerous local and national boards and appear regularly as a keynote speaker and panelist on topics of incarceration and injustice. I was one of 73 people granted a full and unconditional presidential pardon in January 2021.
With my science background, I was named by 500 Women Scientists as one of five Fellowship for the Future fellows. My fellowship project is to train incarcerated women as lab assistants for healthcare facilities. In 2021, I was recognized as one of the New Orleans 500, New Orleans Women of the Year and a Young Leadership Council Role Model.
I was also a 2020 recipient of the Rubinger Fellowship, 2020 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Angel Award Honoree and the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund. I was additionally named a Culture of Health leader by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Email: syrita@or-nola.org