About the Author

Dr. Kathlyn Barrett Layne has served as teacher, assistant principal, and principal for the New York City Department of Education in Brooklyn and Staten Island schools. In 2003 Dr. Barrett-Layne organized an "Honoring Our Heroes" Basketball tournament to honor the African American Fire Fighters and Police Officers who died in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. In 2015 following the death of Eric Garner and Officers Ramos and Liu, Dr. Barrett-Layne organized the "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" basketball game to unite the community and the NYPD. Dr. Barrett-Layne has been a fully ordained minister since 1994 and has served as the senior pastor of Reach Out and Touch Ministries Int'l since 2004. In pastoral work Dr. Barrett-Layne opened the church's first community breakfast program, food and clothing pantry, praise dance ministry, music ministry, and Christian education department, as well as having ministered in homeless shelters, prisons, drug rehab facilities, and nursing homes to bring hope and healing and to give toys and gifts during the holidays. Dr. Barrett-Layne participated in the Staten island March Against Violence following the senseless shooting of Najia Smith and led a march and protest for the shooting of D.J. Megatron on Staten Island. When African American males were highlighted as committing acts of violence involving the Mexican community and the black community Dr. Barrett-Layne helped to organize a Peace March through the streets of Port Richmond in Staten Island New York to make sure the voices of the African American community were heard that we as a community were promoting peace. Dr. Barrett-Layne participated in the first ever inter-borough Tsunami for Peace walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to bring light to New York City and the City Council about the over 800 murders that had taken place across NYC in the Black and Latino communities that year as of August 2010. Dr. Barrett-Layne participated in dinners with the Hispanic community, helped to organize the Black and Latino clergy dinner, and under the leadership of Dr. Barrett-Layne the United Ministerial Alliance of Staten Island was awarded the first ever NYC Proclamation citation awarded for the work and efforts to end violence and promote peace. Dr. Barrett-Layne holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, a Master of Science degree in Education and a post graduate Professional Diploma, and a PhD in School Leadership.