Black activists in D.C. are working in all areas of justice, including reproductive rights, food security and combating sexism. Above all, they’re working to dismantle white supremacy and its legacy, which, in light of the recent election, is work that’s more important than ever. Here’s a list of ten Black organizers, writers and leaders in the District to follow on social media.
This is by no means a definitive list, so let us know who else we should know about.
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1. @mdawriter
Melinda Anderson is an educator and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. Her articles discuss the effects of racial injustice, specifically in education. On Twitter, she holds media accountable for its coverage about race issues. She is also currently involved in the #FreeBresha campaign, which is working to get charges dropped for an Ohio teenager accused of killing her abusive father.
Dear @ChrisHaxel & @LSJNews: Ss chanting "build wall" "go back to Mexico" at Latinx Ss is racist not "racially charged" Call it what it is!! pic.twitter.com/QnTeGz7XnM
— melinda d. anderson (@mdawriter) November 13, 2016
2. @2LiveUnchained
Erika Totten is the founder of To Live Unchained, an organization that works to support the “emotional emancipation,” community leadership development and the healing of Black people. She is also the cofounder of Black Lives Matter DC. She also frequently tweets with fellow activists @Nettaaaaaaaa and @MichelleHux.
My 2step is creating spaces fr #BlackJoy &spaces for #EmotionalEmancipation. If I step out of that lane, I'm liable to burn everything down🤗
— Erika Totten (she/they) (@ToLiveUnchained) July 11, 2016
3. @Agoggans
April Goggans is an organizer with Black Lives Matter DC. She is also a management and program analyst for the Administration of Children and Families. Goggans is active on Twitter, tweeting about police violence in D.C. and the importance of protest.
Are we working towards liberation if we don't check violence against people in movement spaces? Not getting in the middle is not protection.
— April Goggans (@agoggans) November 14, 2016
4. @jonathanlykes
Jonathan Lykes is a queer artist and policy analyst, working as a Black Youth Project 100 D.C. coordinating council member. BYP 100 is a collective of Black activists working toward expanding civil rights. He often tweets about the role of policy in affecting social change.
Policy is how we concretely articulate the message of our liberation. Without it, sustainable change isn't possible #BuildBlackFutures
— Jonathan Lykes (@jonathanlykes) September 13, 2016
5. @BFC_CEO
George A. Jones is the CEO of Bread for the City, a nonprofit organization the provides food, clothing, medical care and legal services to underserved and vulnerable people in D.C. Jones has been CEO for 20 years and is also a board member of the Capital Area Food Bank of DC. He tweets most frequently about the impact of service.
The busyness of today's schedule reminds of a #MLKquote "LIFE'S MOST PERSISTENT & URGENT QUESTION IS, WHAT R U DOING FOR OTHERS?" #Service
— George A. Jones (@BFC_CEO) August 22, 2016
6. @AmberJPhillips
Amber J. Phillips is a social justice organizer and digital organizer. She is the co-creator and cohost of The Black Joy Mixtape, a weekly Black feminist podcast, and a member of Echoing Ida, part of the Forward Together program, which seeks to amplify the voices of Black women in the media. Phillips is also on the board of directors of Sister Song, a collective of women of color for reproductive justice. She often tweets about her (and her mother’s) impatience with white feminism and the need for responsibility in parties across the political spectrum.
"White women were the ones that encouraged and supported their husbands in owning slaves." My mom out here preaching on our weekend checkin!
— Amber J. Phillips (@AmberAbundance) November 12, 2016
7. @JAZonyaMINE
Jazmine Walker is the second member of The Black Joy Mixtape duo. She has also contributed articles to Rewire about topics like reproductive justice. Walker can be found tweeting about the challenges of speaking out against racism and her love for Beyonce.
Talking about racism, publicly, candidly as yourself, w/o the 808 is hard it takes a lot of courage. Some of us ain't there yet.
— Baddie Moss Clark (@JazdaKOS) November 2, 2016
8. @msghopkins
Marion Gray-Hopkins cofounded the People’s Coalition for Police Accountability after her 19-year-old son, Gary, was killed by a police officer in 1993. She is also the cofounder and president of the Coalition of Concerned Mothers, an organization that supports the families of victims of police violence and seeks legislative change. Through her Twitter, she boosts news about police brutality and how to combat it through action like signing petitions.
#SayHerName Why was #SymoneMarshall taken to jail instead of a hospital? https://t.co/z4aS2v1FDb @TheJusticeDept
— Marion Gray-Hopkins (@msghopkins) May 26, 2016
9. @JFierce
Jessica Pierce is the national co-chair of BYP100. She has also worked with the NAACP as national training director in Baltimore. She is active on Twitter and Instagram, posting about her support of the Black activist community.
I should start every morning with calls/videos with young black organizers. It's a meditation in itself to be in deep community with folks.
— Jessica Pierce (@JFierce) November 14, 2016
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLE-9lEDUka/?taken-by=jdotfierce
10. @Netfafree
Netfa Freeman is an organizer with Pan-African Community Action, a grassroots group of Black activists working for “community-based power,” according to its website. He also works with multiple other groups and companies, including left-wing think tank Institute for Policy Studies as program director and event coordinator and at WPFW Radio as a coproducer and cohost. Freeman tweets about events he attends, like IPS’ #AfterNov8 forum last week.
School was in at @IPS_DC #AfterNov8 event this afternoon. @IMIXWHATILIKE @freedomrideblog @GregoryElich @Arnold_August @Praxis_Project pic.twitter.com/F7DEVnSFMY
— Netfa Freeman (@Netfafree) November 10, 2016
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