Board of Directors
Board of Directors
THE AFRICAN AMERICAN POLICY FORUM
2022 YOUNG SCHOLARS PROGRAM RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Swerve
2022 YOUNG SCHOLARS PROGRAM RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Swerve
2022 YOUNG SCHOLARS PROGRAM RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Swerve
2022 YOUNG SCHOLARS PROGRAM RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Swerve
Dynamism
Cultural Diversity
Passion
Let us introduce ourselves, we are game changers; collectively acknowledging damaging narratives of Black representation and choosing to create new pathways for healthy expression through art, media and revisionist history. As members of the Young Scholars Program Cohort 2022, we artfully swerved between intersectionality
as theory and praxis. We studied the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and anti-Black racism while pondering the role of Black girl researchers in helping to inform the social policies that shape our lives. As a Black girl and young women’s research collective we refused to have our stories or lives erased. As we investigated the lived
experiences of other Black women and girls, and worked together to imagine more humanizing policies, we discovered gratification as the world began to open up once again. We asked ourselves and turned to other girls and women to ponder, “What will this new way of living look like for us and those who we love?” As a collective, Swerve found it important to reclaim our own narratives and histories through capturing the voices of generations of Black women, girls, femmes and gender expansive youth in the research assets we produced. We invite you to read through the Creating Eve zine which details the social and cultural impacts of first- generation Black girls in academia. Additionally, please take a look at the graphics for the Black Girl Wellness project, which share the experiences of Black women and girls in the healthcare system. We also have another zine from the Pregnant and Imprisoned research group that raises awareness to the experiences of pregnant Black women in the prison system. Finally, you can also watch the Other Than Mother video project and see impacts of the adultification bias on Black girls in their adolescence. We hope that you check out our displays of artivism so that you too can help us make change on behalf of Black women and girls! Come swerve with us!
2022 RESEARCH PROJECTS
2022 AMBASSADORS AND SCHOLARS
Scholars
RALYCIA ANDREWS (RAY)
Pronouns:
Research Team: Creating Eve
I am a proud Garifuna, Vincentian, aspiring Biological and Cultural Anthropologist, feminist and youth activist. I am currently pursuing my Bachelors in Biology with a minor in Cultural Studies at the UWI Cave Hill Campus. I pride myself on partnering with institutions that support diversity, inclusion, equality and sustainability.
I have a demonstrated history of working in the cultural and performing arts sector, I am skilled in writing and conservation issues. I actively engage in activities that focus on Indigenous and African American women, black historical, cultural and artistic identities and youth engagement.
AAKAYLA SHEPPARD
Pronouns:
Research Team: Other than Mother
I am a person who values group problem-solving with others. It brings me joy because it allows me to get to know them more than just the surface level. I love experiencing new things and making moves toward new ventures. I am friendly to anybody I meet and allow them to be themselves because I want the same thing for myself. I love singing, dancing, creativity, ideas, and entertainment.
JALA HOOKS
Pronouns: She/Her
Research Team: Black Girl Wellness
I am a senior Africology and Political Science Dual major at Temple University. I am from Philadelphia, PA, and aspire to be a Cultural Worker. For me, this looks like being a Criminal Defense Attorney, Africology Professor, and Community Organizer. I am meant to teach, defend, archive, and heal. I am also the founder of Umoja Community Fridge, a mutual aid initiative designed to help combat food insecurity for North Philadelphians.
BROOKLYN JONES
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Research Team: Other than Mother
I am an undergraduate student at the University of Louisville pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health and minors in Healthcare Management and Social Justice and Health Equity. I am passionate about eradicating inequities that adversely impact marginalized communities' health. I believe the best way to eliminate these inequities is through community outreach, social justice initiatives, and policy reform. I am always eager to learn and contribute to impactful work.
CHRISTIAN HERALD
Pronouns: She/Her
Research Team: Creating Eve
I am a student activist, leader, and organizer from Washington, DC. I currently attend the University of Richmond as a Richmond Scholar and Oliver Hill Scholar, where I serve as President of the Black Student Alliance and is the founder and editor in chief of Counterculture Magazine, U of R's first social justice publication. My research interests focus on Black women's persistence and ability to thrive in educational spaces, gender-based violence, and the intersections between capitalism and white supremacy. In my free time, she enjoys journaling, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
LAYLA "LAY" JUNIEL
Pronouns:
Research Team: Black Girl Wellness
I am currently a freshman attending the University of Nevada, Reno at the Honors College. Although it is my first year, I had the opportunity to graduate with my associates degree alongside my high school diploma. I am simultaneously gaining expertise in veterinary science and pharmacy as I would like to treat both animals and humans. I am also studying with a minor in Business Administration as my long term goal is to open a non-profit that focuses on providing resources to marginalized communities. Lastly, but not least, I am a proud youth member of Code Switch, a restorative justice for young girls and women of color organization.
JORDAN HILL
Pronouns: She/Her
Research Team: Other than Mother
I am a senior at Clemson University majoring in Criminal Justice with a double minor in Legal Studies and Psychology. I am passionate about advocating for underserved, underrepresented, and under protected communities. I have a love for using my voice and helping others to find and use theirs.
LOURDES KNOX
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Research Team: Pregnant and Imprisoned
I am a pre-law student at Michigan State University. I recognize the importance of leaders who look like me and who have experienced the same things as me. As a young black woman, our image is tarnished by society as we are the most misrepresented people in America. Although it is not my duty to end systemic and societal views of black women, it is my duty to be an image of leadership to black women and girls for future generations.
DILAAME LINTISO
Pronouns:
Research Team: Pregnant and Imprisoned
I am a sophomore at Trinity Washington University. I am the co-founder and project manager of a non-profit organization, Lintiso Family Gospel Ministry that provides quality education to children of impoverished homes in Ethiopia. I also volunteered at Grief Buddies, an organization focused on helping people cope with grief and ending the negative stigma that surrounds it. It is these experiences that motivated me to join the YSP program and join the AAPF cause.
Ambassadors
SHANBRAE MACFARLAND
Pronouns: She/They
I am a M.A. student at Ohio State University and I’m from the Westside of Atlanta. My research focuses on critical race theory, specifically at the intersection of Blackness and Indigeneity and trap music aesthetics. Please put an emphasis on the Westside cause I like to represent where I’m from. I take pride in being a project baby because I like to let the world know what garden grew me.
LEAH BOVEDA
Pronouns:
I am a sophomore at Brown University aspiring to double major in Political Science and the Visual Arts who uses an intersectional lens to inform her studies. I have been part of the YSP program as a scholar in the 2021 cohort in the Melanin Minds research group. Our project, “What About Us? Reclaiming Black Female Leadership”— aimed to explore Black women's intersectional experiences in leadership positions to construct frameworks that empower Black women and allow for greater leadership mobility.
ESSENCE SMITH FRANCIS
Pronouns:
I was born and raised in Boston, MA. I am a junior at Trinity College, double majoring in Political Science and International Studies. I am pursuing a career in law, and hope to leave a mark in all the respective communities I have been involved in. I am currently preparing to study abroad in Stockholm, Sweden.
DENIA SMITH
Pronouns:
I am a nationally recognized activist, grassroots organizer, and public speaker. I am a first-year student at American University, majoring in Political Science while obtaining a minor in African American Studies.
GIA MITCHAM
Pronouns:
I am a senior at Boston College majoring in Communication with a double minor in Marketing and African and African Diaspora Studies, and I hope to pursue a career in law.
ANIAH FRANCIS
Pronouns:
I am a recent graduate at the University of San Francisco who has dedicated my life to the holistic development of Black girls across the diaspora. I have been a part of the YSP program for the past three years as a scholar, ambassador, and research advisor. I am currently a Research and Writing fellow for the African American Policy Forum while I pursue graduate school to continue studying sociology at a Ph.D. level.