Evonnia

BIOGRAPHY

Evonnia discovered her enthusiasm for social justice while teaching, researching, and learning about social problems in her Master’s program. Upon starting her PhD program, she simultaneously joined a local grassroots organization and got to work addressing economic, environmental, racial, and reproductive justice issues at every level of governance.

She began community organizing on issues and campaigns like those to protect and expand social security and Medicaid, raise the minimum wage, address student loan debt, and gain environmental protections. She simultaneously engaged in a range of campus organizing where she assisted in laying the groundwork for and launching the graduate employee union, cofounded several groups and organizations, and served in multiple leadership positions where she worked with other student leaders, faculty, staff, and campus admins on improving student participation in campus decision-making processes.

In her more recent work history, she launched, led, and worked on campaigns to increase birth control and abortion access, address Black maternal and infant mortality rates, and end HIV criminalization. Working in partnership, coalition, or collaboratively on these issues have strengthened her resolve to continue co-creating inclusive movement spaces that societal structures can be modeled after. Her deep knowledge of movement histories is evident in every aspect of her work, including her 5-year stint cohosting a feminist community radio show where she discusses social justice issues with academic and movement leaders.