Carla “Coffee” Wright
A St. Louis native, at the age of 16, a young single mother living on her own. To sustain herself and her daughter she worked full time for the Salvation Army Residence for Abused and Neglected Children. She tested out of high school a year early and enrolled in Forest Park College as a fulltime student. After graduating and receiving her associates degree in Early Childhood Education, Coffee explored other career options from a flight attendant to becoming one of the country’s top Insurance agent. At the height of her career she decided to relocate to California in pursuit of a career in the film industry. Coffee recorded and released a Rap album “Funky Attitude” in 1995 and hosted her own cable TV show
Ebony Avenue. She also Co-Hosted a rap T.V. show “Hip Hop Revenge” opposite of Tariq Nasheed which lead to them staring in the film Spirit of the Ouija. In 1995 Coffee wrote, produced and directed her first film “Killing Me Softly” starring John Witherspoon, which was screened at the New York Film festival and Tribeca film center. Known as Lady X, Coffee performed as the opening act at Rap concerts for major artists. She between landing small film roles. A member of the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation Television Radio Artist (SAG/AFTRA) Coffee became a union Actress. She can be seen in films such as LA Riot-starring Cicely Tyson, Devil in the Blue Dress-starring Denzel Washington, Grid Lock- starring Tupac Shakur, The Point of No Return- starring Bridgette Fonda and the list goes on. Coffee has written, produced and directed several union/non-union films, music videos, commercials and stage plays including her 48 cast/crew sold-out box office hit “Who Killed The Church?” which debuted on Father’s Day June 17, 2012 at The Missouri History Museum.
To sustain herself economically Coffee purchased a small fleet of Ice cream trucks as well as worked as a substitute teacher when available. She continuously traveled to and from St. Louis were she purchased derelict real-estate that she learned to renovate doing most of the work herself, many times her two children would accompany her.
Coffee comes from a family that has been celebrating Juneteenth as Blacks/Africans day of Independence since she was a child in the early 70’s. She supported Dr. Ronald Myers and others as they successfully accomplished Juneteenth/Emancipation Day as a Missouri state holiday on June 19, 2003. It is on record that she held St. Louis’s largest and first official Juneteenth Parade & Celebration which occurred on June 17, 2016. This event attracted over one thousand citizens including politicians, small business owners, organizations from all over St. Louis city and county. The program included the crowning of close to 300 Black men. She was recognized by St. Louis city Mayor Lyda Krewson and presented a Proclamation recognizing June 18th, as Coffee Wright Day. On June 18, 2018 Coffee continued making History by organizing Missouri History Museum’s first Juneteenth Celebration attracting a large diverse crowd and performers which again was a success. She is recognized in St. Louis city Board of Alderman’s Resolution 20 as the only non-elective official contributing to establishing Juneteenth a paid holiday starting June 18, 2019. She serves as Executive Director and founder of the Juneteenth Holiday Inc. a nonprofit organization. Coffee is the author of the Juneteenth National Anthem, which is featured in her 5-star poetry book on Amazon entitled “Free Your Mind”.
She’s listed on record at the Library of Congress as the Missouri Expert Director of National Juneteenth Observation Foundation. Collectively working with all State directors Juneteenth became a National Holiday on June 18, 2021.
Coffee most recently can be seen in the 2022 released (St. Louis Rappers and DJ’s) documentary “Background Check” directed by DJ Wiz. Coffee is acknowledged as St. Louis youngest female rap artist dating back to 1978 as a member/Rapper of Ready Every Time (R.E.T) productions where she got her start at the age of 13 years old.
Coffee currently serves as CEO/Director of the Missing Person Task Force Headquarters nonprofit Inc. where she organizes and participates in local and high profile missing person’s cases. In 2007 she founded Together Each Achieves More Academy (T.E.A.M. Academy), a life skills intensive training and community building Preparatory School. Her programs are aimed at effectively engaging high-risk adults and youth in a process that improves their economic and social status with the community.
Coffee serves as Director of Media Operations for the Universal African Peoples Organization (UAPO, a national grassroots social justice and Proportional Political Representation organization). She is very active and known for speaking “Truth to Power” throughout the country, seen at various protest, social justice events and has been a guest on a variety of radio shows and podcast. While living in California she advocated during the Rodney King Up rising. She is also known as a “Front-line Protestor” in the Ferguson Up rising. Coffee is a strong advocate for Police reform and she speaks out against systemic racism and countless high profile Injustices targeting our communities. She’s also a member of the Steering committee of the Community Justice Coalition (CJC).
Coffee was the only Black candidate for Missouri United States Senate in 2018, finishing second place in the Democratic Party Primary election. She campaigned for United States Senate again in 2022 and for the first time in history nine African Americans was on the ballot for Missouri U.S. Senate. She utilizes her political relationships crossing party lines by working closely with the Missouri Green Party on policies and laws that are important to the community. She participates in workshops, seminars and community events, and is often serves as a keynote speaker.
Coffee is the founder of Shot or Not Diagnostic Testing. As a DNA Technician Specialist, at the height of the COVID-19 virus, she trained 28 independent healthcare essential workers and provided COVID-19 Mouth Swab testing services for thousands of St. Louisans 24 hours around the clock. Coffee and her team provided weekly tests at St. Louis senior citizen buildings, as well as for St. Louis city employees and the general public in over 15 different locations including thousands of private family in home testing throughout the city and the county. Coffee continues her mission as a Community social worker and an ordained minister. She’s a graduate of West Coast Detective Academy, and is a Harris Stowe State University alumni where she majored in business. She holds the highest certification of Missouri Director child care facilities 99 children and more. Coffee is a long-time member of the National Education Association (NEA). Over years has invested in real estate/property management. She’s the mother of two, a grandmother and a great grandmother. She’s well known for advocating for her late mother, her grandmother and others as they struggled with Alzheimer’s. Coffee proclaims that it was only natural to be inspired and be a voice for our seniors and disabled, “No them, No us”. This lead to her creating “Thinking of You in home services,” for seniors and the disabled.
Carla Coffee Wright understands and firmly believes that Black people must build together generational wealth and “If the people want or see a need for change or services, we the people must make it our duty to step up, design a Blueprint, make the sacrifices necessary in an attempt to make it happen or support someone that will”. In quoting her words; I’m Coffee Wright and “That’s right, I said it!”
