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Meet our 2018 FIHRE Fellows
Jun 13, 2018We are excited to announce our 2018 FIHRE Fellows:
Suzanne Babb, Why Hunger
Suzanne is the Community Partnerships Manager at WhyHunger, an organization supporting grassroots-led movements for food justice and food sovereignty worldwide. In this role, Suzanne supports the capacity building of community based food access organizations through shared learning around the intersection of hunger, health and poverty. By participating in local and national level strategic partnerships, Suzanne helps to create space and facilitate dialogue around the systemic inequities that cause hunger and poverty. In her role at WhyHunger, Suzanne has facilitated multi-day trainings on the root causes of hunger and workshops on racism in the food system. Suzanne is a founding member of Black Urban Growers (BUGs), an organization of volunteers committed to building community support for urban and rural growers and nurturing collective Black leadership. BUGs is the convener of the Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners conference, an annual convening space for Black growers and food justice activists around the country. Since 2012 Suzanne has been a farmer at La Finca del Sur Urban Farm, a Black and Latina women led farm, in the South Bronx in New York City. Originally from Montreal, Quebec, Suzanne has many years of experience working on community development projects within the English-speaking Black community of Montreal on issues of education, employment and health. She holds a BS from Concordia University and Masters of Public Health from Columbia University. In 2017, Suzanne was named one of the 40 under 40 Rising Stars in New York City by the New York City Food Policy Center.
Tadios Belay, Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Tadios is an educator, community organizer, researcher and immigrants’ rights activist. He has deep understanding and knowledge of international human rights laws and remarkable experience working in human rights advocacy organizations. Currently working with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration and consults the United Nations – Economic and Social Council on the Global Compact on Migration, he also has extensive experience in recruiting pro bono attorneys and supervising free legal immigration clinics benefiting hundreds of low-income Black immigrants in the Bay Area. Tadios founded the African Civil Rights Center, an organization established to advocate for the racial, economic, social and civil rights of Black immigrants in the Bay Area. As a researcher, he has studied education, human rights, immigration, asylum and refugee rights movement in support of grassroots campaigns. For his unwavering commitment, work and service to the Black immigrant community, he earned a recognition and award from the California State Assembly and the 15th Assembly District as a Community Change-Maker and received the 7th Annual Juneteenth Image Award in 2016. Tadios received a Master of Laws in Public International law from the University of San Francisco School of Law, where he specialized in International Human Rights Law. He has also studied a leadership and executive education program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and is currently completing his doctoral studies in Global Executive Doctor of Education program at the University of Southern California School of Education where he is conducting research on the advancement of Black culture and Identity.
Marco Castro Bojorquez, HIVenas Abiertas
Marco, is an activist and an impact filmmaker living with HIV, that aims to build a more just and peaceful world through creative resistance and nonviolent action. He considers his film work to be “a contracorriente” and his philosophy is inspired by the efforts of the "Third Cinema" coined by filmmakers and thinkers of the movement of “New Latin American Cinema” in the 70s where the main purposes aimed at resist, mobilize, agitate, and to promote social consciousness to counter the practices of the American film industry, mainly Hollywood. He advocates for the civil and human rights of LGBT people and people living with HIV/AIDS, as a convener for Venas Abiertas: a network of Latinx immigrant people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S., a steering committee member of The U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus, and a past lead organizer with the coalition of Californians for HIV Criminalization Reform resulting in the passing of SB 239 and the repeal of outdated HIV criminalization laws in 2018. He is also a senior advisor for Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, MAVEN and Somos Familia, and Corazón Abierto, organizations that work with queer youth and their families in the United States and Mexico. In 2010, Marco directed his first short documentary Tres Gotas de Agua, in collaboration with Somos Familia. In this film, three Latina immigrant mothers tell their personal stories about their children's coming out processes. In 2015, he premiered his most recent work, El Canto del Colibri (The Hummingbird’s Song) featuring Latino immigrant fathers discussing acceptance of their LGBTQ children. Marco lives in California with Lola, his 17 year old cat... so pretty that Lola!
S. Choi, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach
S. Choi is a second-generation Korean-American from Los Angeles, now based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the Project Manager of the Anti-Human Trafficking Project at Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach in the San Francisco Bay Area, working towards advocating for the holistic care and empowerment of those affected by human trafficking, using an intersectional human rights-based perspective.
Elizabeth Enchautegi, United Confederation of Taino People
Imagine being on your way to work at 10:00am the morning of your 21 st birthday and the next thing you know you’re in the hospital. That was the reality Elizabeth Enchautegui faced having literally died and being brought back to life that morning. Since then, on every birthday she has dedicated her time to a cause. However, as she grew with age came wisdom, and the realization that one day a year for far less than she was capable of doing in the fight for just causes in the world. Growing up in Paterson, New Jersey and having a strong connection to her indigenous Boriken Taino roots, she saw the opportunity to work on a regular basis for indigenous rights, economic disparity, environmental justice, feminism, and another injustices she can stand up against or justice she can stand with in solidarity. In recent years, she has been a water protector in Florida fighting against and raising awareness about fracking, as well as raising awareness in the school and YMCA community she works in.
Netfa Freeman, Pan African Community Action
Netfa Freeman was Director of the Institute’s Social Action & Leadership School for Activists (SALSA) from 2000 to 2010 and is now the coordinator for events of the other IPS projects. SALSA provided affordable workshops covering all aspects of grassroots activism. Netfa holds a B.A. in History from the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and has been a political organizer/activist since 1985. He served as coordinator of the Committee for Political Education at the Pan-African Resource Center (1985-1989) and has worked as a phone-bank fundraiser for the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES 1988-1990). Netfa has been intimately involved with many movements, such as the 1986 International Peace Gathering in response to the U.S. bombing of Libya, the 1997 Advocates Plus Save UDC movement, and the People Before Profit Community Healthcare Project that was organizing DC residents to take their healthcare needs into their own hands. He served for many years as board member for Empower DC, as well as on the advisory board of M.O.M.I.E.S. TLC, was U.S. liaison for the Ujamma Youth Farming Project in Gweru, Zimbabwe, and a founding member and a lead organizer in the DC-Havana Sister City Project and the No War On Cuba Movement. He is an organizer in the International Committee for Peace, Justice & Dignity for the People, formerly the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5. Netfa is also a radio co-producer/co-host for Voices With Vision on WPFW 89.3 FM that airs Tuesdays from 9-10am. In 2011 Netfa was a recipient of the Washington Peace Center’s Activists of The Year Awards and is a workshop facilitator as part of the Educator’s Collective for the Wayside Center for Popular Education, Train the Movement: A Trainers of Color Collaborative, and completed the “Amandla! Black Community Organizing Internship” of BOLD, Black Organizing for Leadership & Dignity. Netfa is currently a founding member of Pan-African Community Action (PACA)
Nicole Hill, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization
As a member of the People's Water Board and a number of other human rights and social justice organizations, Nicole has learned and engaged in multiple events surrounding social justice. She came into the fold of PWB through Michigan Welfare Rights Organization which she joined in 2014 as a person impacted by the massive water shutoffs in the city of Detroit. Nicole is also a survivor of Hurricane Katrina, which caused her to gain strength that propelled her towards the movement to fight poverty and its numerous causes and effects. Nicole strongly believes in her moral obligation to help create a better world to leave her children. As an impacted person with the lived experience, Nicole offers a genuine aspect to this work. Since becoming part of these organizations, she knows where she fits in and believes this work is not about community service or because of a sense of obligation, but because this is what she was born to do.
Paola Martin del Campo, Safe and Sound
Paola Martin del Campo is a Mexican-American with international development, nonprofit and public relations experience. Growing up along the U.S.-Mexico border, she observed first hand many of the most pressing U.S.-Mexico challenges which account for many of the human rights issues we face today. These included undocumented migration and deportation as well as labor, commercial sexual exploitation and child trafficking. Exposure to these human rights violations inspired her to get a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies focused in Latin American Economic Development at the University of California, San Diego. She got involved with organizations and leaders in the San Diego community who were advocating for human rights and had the opportunity to intern for the United Nations Association as well as Senator Dianne’s Feinstein’s office. After graduating from college, Paola joined the Peace Corps. During her service in Nicaragua she worked in conjunction with the Ministry of Education assisting with the development and facilitation of workshops for local teachers. While working on a secondary eHealth mobile application project, she cultivated and fostered relationships with community members as well as national and international institutions including the Nicaraguan National University (UNAN), the Red Cross and Planned Parenthood. This collaboration between local and international government institutions, nonprofits and community members made her realize the need to focus more on human rights advocacy. Paola currently works for Safe & Sound (previously the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center) where she supports the multidisciplinary teams at the Children’s Advocacy Center in San Francisco. Her role has taught her about the need to educate the many government agencies involved in the human rights mission, coordinate systems and policies as well as procedures and protocols when dealing with child abuse, child trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children.
Julia McKenna, Village Coalition
Julia McKenna uses gender neutral (they/them) pronouns. Julia is originally from Pennsylvania where
they got their BA in Psychology and minor in Spanish at Penn State in 2010. They worked in State
College, PA for 3 years at a transitional living program for teenagers, which led them to study public
policy. Julia completed their Master of Public Policy at Oregon State University in June of 2015. Julia has
content expertise in innovative housing types, creative, community-based solutions to houselessness,
and best practices for serving LGBTQ+ people experiencing houselessness.
Kelly Miller, Environmental Justice Coalition for Water
Kelly Miller is a strong, educated and independent woman from the eastern Kentucky coal mountains. Among Ms Miller's civic accomplishments in 2002 she was honored by the Kentucky Lieutenant Governor with the award of “Kentucky Colonel” for her diligent work in the community. Miller is a survivor of an illegal sex trafficking ring. While being continually targeted and subjected to blackballing by the Free Masons for exposing their illegal sex trafficking ring, Ms Miller was able to prove corruption at state levels against the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Armed with a guilty verdict she received against the Commonwealth of Kentucky in a Kentucky criminal court while acting as pro se litigate, Ms. Miller was encouraged by the governor's office to pursue her case at the federal level. In Ms Miller's battle to secure justice she has endured numerous hardships and acts of violence including but not limited to homelessness, assault and rape to be among the trauma experienced by Ms Miller. Ms. Miller has provided personal testimony of her traumatic experience to the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights as well as multiple United Nations Special Rappatuers regarding the extreme inhumane conditions she has lived through such as lack of shelter, clean water, sanitation and exposure to the harsh elements of the environment resulting in Ms. Miller's testimony providing insight to enlighten those in policy making decisions. Her lived experience positions her as an expert witness on human rights violations. Despite Ms Miller's ongoing personal adversity of homelessness, she continues to give back to society by actively advocating for others. Most recently Ms. Miller lobbied for and received a round table with the EPA Environmental Justice Agency regarding Homelessness issues and their connection to Environmental Justice. Ms. Miller continues to work toward securing her justice for the targeted violent crimes against her while also lobbying for justice for other directly impacted invididuals.
P Moses, Black Lives Matter Memphis'
P. Moses born Pamela Moses to civil rights activist Brenda K. Monroe-Moses and Jamaican
immigrant Errol Moses. A self-proclaimed raptivist and interculturalist hails from Memphis TN.
Mother of Tyler and Taj’. A graduate of the University of TN at Knoxville and received a masters
degree from Union University in Intercultural studies. P. Moses is a full-time organizer and
activist based out of Memphis. Currently serves as a delegate of the TN Women’s March,
Founder of the Memphis, TN Black Lives Matter, Democratic Executive Committeewoman, and
developer of the Rise Up Memphis Campaign. A writer, blogger, and musician who has a
passion and desire to perform rap music but that all changed to social justice and movement
music when she was falsely imprisoned for speaking truth to power and assisting poor
uneducated citizens in Memphis with legal work. She has since decided to dedicate her life to
agitating and dismantling white supremacy and organizing educating people who are oppressed
in fighting for dignity and human rights
Erica Moore, Lower Brule Community
Ms. Moore currently serves as the Chief Academic Officer of a Tribal College where she works closely with administration, faculty, Tribal leaders, and Native American students, who face unique challenges in their educational journey. As a member of the Lower Brulee Community, she organizes on behalf of initiatives for Native American students with both state and tribal governments. Ms. Moore's teaching experiences exposed her to issues regarding the human right to education within college and university environments and allowed her to understand diversity initiatives can be best supported through faculty, staff, and administration to have a meaningful impact upon the institution, in particular with the students, and to promote educational excellence. She has trained K-12 staff on culturally responsive teaching, diversity and inclusion in the classroom.
Ms. Moore has a Ph.D in Higher Education Leadership from Northcentral University, where her dissertation focused on Native American Students: Exploring Native American Students’ Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors Toward Academic Success and tribal affilation. Her dissertation was selected to be presented at the South Dakota Indian Education Summit for the 2016 and 2017 conferences and the League of Innovations 2017. Most recently her work was chosen to be published as a learning abstract in the League of Innovations journal. In addition, she earned my master’s degree in History from the American Military University and her undergraduate degree in History from University of Maryland University College.
J. Renteria, Puente
Jovana Renteria is a 39-year-old Xicana from Phoenix, AZ. She is the Legal Director and a co-founder of Puente Human Rights Movement. Puente has been protesting on the hot streets of Arizona against 287g, SB1070, operated a crisis line when SB10 went into effect, and worked to shut down Tent City. Ms. Renteria worked with Puente to collect data on racial profiling against Sheriff Joe Arpaio and turned it into the Department of Justice and successfully co-led a campaign to take Arpaio out of office. She also helped to create a legal clinic "Uno x Uno" which does a six week course for undocumented folx on topics such as know your rights, history of Arizona, preparation for if you enter the deportation system. In addition to her work at Puente, Ms. Renteria also volunteers at a female prison and give classes every week. She is proud to work as a family advocate with lifers who need support and reunification with family. Ms. Renteria has set up a legal team to start working on lifer’s cases. Their first case was in December and they won. Ms. Renteria says, "We cannot wait for people to come save us, we have to save ourselves. We need to fight for our family!"
Krystal Rountree, IamWE Prison Advocacy Network
Krystal Rountree is the Co-Founder and Director of iamWE Prison Advocacy Network and lead organizer for the Millions for Prisons Human Rights March. Krystal, a North Carolina native is a wife, mother of three and a registered nurse by profession. Krystal is passionate about advocating for women and children impacted by domestic violence and serves as a community educator through a local Women's Domestic Violence and Crisis Intervention center. She is known as a firm advocate for prisoner’s human rights and for her dedication to amplifying prisoner’s voices. iamWE is a grassroots human rights organization formed in collaboration with currently incarcerated and outside organizers to defend and fight for the human rights of the prison class.
Arizbeth Sanchez, Freedom University
Arizbeth Sanchez Gutierrez is an undocumented student leader originally from Culiacan,
Sinaloa, Mexico. She migrated to the United States when she was six years old and grew up in
the city of Norcross in Georgia. After she graduated high school, Arizbeth came to the
realization that getting a post-secondary education was going to be challenging in Georgia as it
is the only state in the US that not only bans undocumented students from the top institutions in
the state, but also denies them in-state tuition. In the Spring of 2014, Arizbeth enrolled in
classes at Freedom University, a modern-day Freedom school that offers rigourous tuition-free
college level classes, leadership development, and college application assistance. She has
participated in two actions of civil disobedience in protest of these two bans, and has
represented Freedom University at numerous panels across the country at various colleges and
universities such as Dartmouth, Harvard, UCLA, Bard College, and Lewis and Clark College.
Through these panels Arizbeth has helped to change the policies of several colleges to be more
inclusive of undocumented students and to offer financial aid such as at Emory University, Soka
University, and Smith College. She hopes to study Sociology when she attends college.