FMFP Organizers 2007-2021

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Curtis Acosta Heidi Affi Alexandra Ahn Qui Alexander Keisha Allen Lindsey Allen Elizabeth Alvarado Marielle Amrhei Lauren Anderson Adam Angel William Carlos Angulo Katie Arevalo Jr Arimboanga Annika Aristimuno Jaime Arteaga Awo Okaikor Aryee-Price Margarte Austin-Smith José Avilar William Ayers Natalia Bacchus Binta Bah Jamilyn Salonga Bailey Xian Barrett Emily Bautista Mark Bautista Morriah Beatty Nyla Bell Kristina Berdan Gabriel Berumen Swati Bhargava Kaylah Blake Nikki Blunt veronica precious bohanan Mahogany Bosworth Jennifer Bradley Matt Bradley James Bragg lyssa Brandon Tizoc Brenes Rose Brewer Kisha Kilam Brooks Jamia Brown Tracy Buenavista Tanja Burkhard Juli Burnett Adam Bush Caitlin Cahill Patrick Camangian camill.williams Nawal Casiano Christopher Castro Kakeena Castro Keith Catone Maria Cedillo Barbara Cervone Christina Chaise Teddy Chao Marlie Chatelain Tom Chen Anita Chikkatur Marisa Chock Olivia Chung Roger Chung Cory Cochrane Jackie Cody Kimberly Colbert Leticia Contreras Monét Cooper Kristin Cox Natalia Cuadra-Saez Ben Dalbey Maia Danois Erica Davilla Asia Davis Nikita Davis Qasim Davis Kip Dawson Juliet de Jesus Alejandre Cati de los Rios Chela Delgado Shiv Desai Hana Dinku Ana Claudia dos Santos Sao Bernardo Erin Dyke Kitrell Edmonds Sophea Ek Andrew Ensley Lars Esdal Ashley Escobedo Jennifer Etienne Christina Duncan Evans Damian Ewens Keno Evol Nicole Farley Kei Fischer Brian Ford Jillian Ford Tanya Foster-Demers Alejandra Frausto Gabriela Fullon Cortez Gabriel Norma Garces Sarah Garton Riyaz Gayasaddin

Liza Gesuden 6Jay Gillen Marla Goins Ayala Goldstein Trey Gonsalves Shannon Gonzales-Miller Mart Gonzalez Isioma Grant Daren Graves Alexis Gray Jonothan Gray Salina Gray Ale Gtz Eric (Rico) Gutstein Sarah Ha Pat Halle Jonathan Hamilton Sharim Hannegan-Martinez Angela Harris Nick Henning Mia Henry Adriana Hererra Perhamus Daijah Hill Ellissia Hill Brian Horn Ellie Hutchinson Rebecca Irby Hannah Jacoby James Jackson Melanie Jackson Adrian Jami Jennifer Juarez Marsha Jean-Charles Brandon Johnson Brooke Johnson Cephus Johnson Jennie Johnson Katelyn Johnson Teena-Marie Johnson Brandy Jones Denisha Jones Marcel Jones Vanessa Jones Twan Jordan Jeremiah Joseph Ezekial Joubert Jennifer Juarez Mariame Kaba Sarah Kadden Muneer Karcher-Ramos Mark Kasen Adrinda Kelly Kayla Kelsey Harper Keenan Lara Kiswani

Brad Kohl Patricia Krueger Shyama Kuver Woody L Kristy Luk Lady Brion Chris Landauer Roxanne Lawson Alexa Leboeuf Bowie Lee Elisa Lee Jesse Leidel Audrey Lensmire Jordan Leonard Ro Lin JL Little Tarilyn Little Brian Lozenski Tsedenia Lozenski Rene Ly Julian Lute Tara Mack Rahsaan Mahadeo Joanna Maravilla Antonio Martinez Jarred Martinez Ricardo Martinez Annie Mason Crystal Mattison Imrul Mazid Morna McDermott Cassandra McKay Rudy Medina Erica Meiners Amattulah Mervin Anton Migiletta Marie Mokuba Jason Moore Rayshon Moore Theresa Montaño Daniel Morales Asadullah Muhammad Jessie Muldoon Brett Murphy Amanda Najib Aaron Nakai Sandra Nanita K.C. Nat Turner MK Nguyen Ngan Nguyen Ludmila Nicolia Thomas Nikundiwe Rachel Nyirenda Shirley Odufunade Israel Okunlola Bukky Olugbemi Adeola Oredola Joel-Lehi Organista-Estrada Natalia Ortiz Gema Ortega Monsurat Ottun Robin Owens Damon Packwood Lilly Padia Malaika Parker Michele Parker Njeri Parker Leigh Patel Bennie Patterson Charles Payne Kendra PeloJoaquin Carlotta Penn Marika Pfefferkorn Tracy Pham Bree Picower Alex Poeter Nicole Polizzi Jody Polleck Farima Pour-Khorshid Stephanie Price Isaura Pulido Lisa Putkey Sunney Qazi Alice Ragland Thato Ramoabi Vi Ray-Mazumder Javonie Regis Cecily Relucio Kelsey Rennebohm Aja Reynolds Alejandra Reynoso Kenyatta Riddick Rachel Rischhoff Ivan Roberts Leidy Robledo Abigail Rombalski Bashi Rose Kesh Tiara Ross Gloria Ross Susan Smith Ross Camika Royal Brooks Rubin Aldrich Sabac Maymuna Sabree Raquel Saenz Elsa Saeta Varee Saetang Babatunde Salaam Albert Saldan Zakiya Sankara-Jabar Ana Claudia Sao Bernardo Sowmya Sastri Ruby Schlaker Samuel Seidel Carlos Serrano Carla Shalaby Emine Sharma 7 Maryland Shaw Jessica Shiller Samia Shoman Nuhu Sims Neha Singhal Alissa Skinner Joy Sokolower Vanessa Steele Jaime Stevenson Carmine Stewart Stony David Omotoso Stovall Johnae Strong Jessica Suarez Leyla Suleiman Mustafa Sullivan Victorius Swift Dulari Tahbildar Kisa Takesue Annie Tan Molly Tansey Valerie Taylor Willa Taylor Ashley Terada Annie Terrell Angel Tibbs Chris Tinson Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales Tavin Tobin Ashley Triggs Lorena Tule-Romain Eli Tucker-Raymond K.C. Nat Turner Chinyere Tutashinda Carol Umanzor Duaba Unenra Irene Ushomirsky Carolina Valdez Erica Valliant Edgar Vargas Kaliyah Vernon Christina “V” Villarreal Tammie Vinson Michelle Veras Tonya Walls Shaun Walsh Roderick Watts Megan Wells Teffanie Thompson White Kharyshi Wiginton Susan Wilcox Collique Williams Terrion Williamson Asif Wilson Talia Winningham Heather Homonoff Woodley Jason Yoon Emile Zeren

Any omissions or errors are accidental. Please let us know if you are not listed or want your name removed.

Black women at the helm

In movements and struggles, past and present, the labor of Black women has often been invisibilized and relegated to the margins of the narrative, when their work was central to progress that was made. While over the years, FMFP has been organized by people from multiple races and genders (and those for whom no gender cateogiry fits), without the leadership of Black women FMFP would not be where it is today.

Listen to the first episode of the Free Minds Free People Podcast, FMFP History 101 featuring two of our founding organizers, and check out the two-part episode, Teaching in the Time of COVID: Lessons from Black Women Educators featuring the new executive director of Education for Liberation Network, Awo Okaikor Aryee-Price, with Belinda Bellinger and Lisa Kelly.

Primary organizers of Chicago 2007 (left to right/top to bottom): Marsha Jean-Charles, Cassandra McKay Jackson, Tara Mack, Njeri Parker, Javonie Regis, Susan Wilcox - Mariame Kaba is not picture

Black Girl Magic is a rallying call of recognition. Embedded in the everyday is a magnificence that is so easy to miss because we’re so mired in the struggle and what society says we are. — Ava Duvernay

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rest in power

(2021) Thomas Nkondo Nikunduwe - On 4 July 2021, our beloved Thomas transitioned from this world. Partner, Brother, Son, Friend, Thomas was truly ELN/FMFP’s North, our South, our East and our West. When Thomas was interviewing for the executive director position, already a member of our network, he said,

“We can do so much more, build and leverage connections for young people to thrive and create freedom. I’m talking Civil Rights movement level.” Thomas taught us, most often in quiet ways, that relationships mattered above all else. He showed us how a collective is deeply different than a community. He taught us the how of everything-- how we are with ourselves, how we are with each other, how we are with equity and inequity-- is everything. He taught us that liberation work is centuries work, and that makes what we do today no less urgent. He taught this with few, carefully chosen and timed words. How Thomas spoke and moved was a constant source of liberatory learning.

Thomas’s love and consideration were other worldly. He impacted innumerable lives, and he held much space for so many. Thomas and his soulmate, his partner, his other self, Carla Shalaby, wrapped our network in a caring blanket, with tools. Tools for education to be wrenched back from racist capitalism and colonialism. Tools for dealing with harm in movement spaces. Tools to think about every action and our values. Every day, Thomas and Carla, along with family, Izaac and Akenna, created a space where freedom overshadowed control and surveillance.

Thomas immigrated to the U.S. from Tanzania via The Netherlands when he was 8-years-old, growing up in Lansing, Michigan and later attending Michigan State University. After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a secondary school teaching certificate, Thomas spent time in Baltimore (BAP!), Uganda (Peace Corps) and Boston as a math teacher, teacher trainer, youth organizer, and researcher. While in Boston he earned a doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Thomas returned to Michigan where he lived in Detroit with his two sons and partner. He joined the Grace Lee Boggs School Community in 2012 when his younger son started at the school and was on its board from 2018 on.

We will always hold Thomas, his gentle and wise ways, and his family in our hearts.

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