Natasha Clemons Fights for Police Reform

Natasha Clemons at the intersection of U.S. 301 where her son, Rodney Mitchell, was killed in a police altercation.
Image: Barbara Banks
Natasha Clemons is more than just busy. Since the death of her son, Rodney Mitchell, in an altercation with the police in 2012, the Sarasota native has thrown herself into grassroots efforts to address racism and accountability for Sarasota law enforcement agencies. She’s both one of the voices of the local Black Lives Matter chapter and the CEO of the Rodney Mitchell Foundation—all while juggling a full-time job as a hospital nurse.
For Clemons, 48, being a strong woman runs in her blood. “I watched my mom basically raise me and my three sisters as a single parent,” she says. “It’s granted me the strength to do what I had to do. I think God only gives his strongest battles to those who can handle it.”