Our Team
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In the Office
Envisions spaces where young people proximate to injustice are inspired to use their voices to advocate for positive change
Hires dope people to advance Vocal Justice’s mission
Grows our community of supporters to expand our impact
Out of the Office
Dances hip-hop and bachata whenever he has a chance
Eats Thai food
Finds the perfect lighting to take pictures of his friends
View Shawon’s LinkedIn
Reach out to Shawon about funding and volunteer opportunities.
Naomi S. Daugherty (she/they)
Director of Programming and Critical Consciousness
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In the Office
Architects curriculum rooted in self-exploration and compassion and centering the ancient art of storytelling as a tool for social change
Develops soft and liberatory spaces for educators to commune, explore, and deepen their practice
Leverages intergenerational wisdom and researches abolitionist education practices to cultivate revolutionary programing for both educators and young people
Out the Office
Creates massage-oil candles and runs her wellness business, 4ColouredGurlz
Writes under a mighty Magnolia tree and shares her poetry across the world
Dances barefoot in her garden
Reach out to Naomi to discuss district and school partnerships and our curriculum.
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In the Office
Builds an organizational culture where youth who are proximate to injustice and their adult collaborators feel safe, nurtured, and powerful
Collaborates with young people to bring their voices to bear on organization-wide decisions
Oversees our communications and strategic planning work
Out of the Office
Belts ballads while stuck in Chicago traffic
Loses sleep to execute elaborate baked goods and parties
Gets groceries to her neighbors with Market Box
Raja’Nee Redmond (she/her)
Community Engagement Manager and Digital Archivist
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In the Office
Compiles and amplifies work and stories from Vocal Justice youth participants and alumni
Curates mission-aligned content for our social media platforms
Collaborates to plan special events that convene youth and adult allies
Out of the Office
Gathers and archives family members’ life stories
Plans trips out of the country
Watches reality TV
Reach out to Raja’Nee about the Youth Advisory Council, our Archive of Youth Voice and Power, and our social media platforms.
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In the Office
Designs curriculum that honors the diversity and expansiveness of students across various cultures, communities, and learning styles in hopes that they value storytelling as a useful tool for social justice
Celebrates educators for their flexibility, determination, and willingness to empower students to use their voices to benefit themselves and their communities
My work reflects my love of the truth, my reverence for stories of personal and collective triumph, and my first-hand knowledge of the brilliance, strength and wisdom of young people whose voices improve and shape the world
Out of the Office
I'm 1000% invested in speaking Spanish fluently and playing songs on the guitar that have more than four chords
Watches tennis, basketball, football, baseball, and soccer with my uncle
Listens to and sings/raps songs from Chicago artists.
Reach out to Ana to discuss our teacher fellowship.
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In the Office
Facilitates social justice discussions and practices in community sessions with educators and student leaders in the Youth Power Collective
Stewards creativity in educators and young people as they strategize liberation pathways for themselves and their communities through storytelling exhibitions
Partners closely with educators in a shared commitment to amplifying the voices and visions of this generation's youth leadership
Out of the Office
Runs 5ks every other morning through the streets of Humboldt Park
Paints pink-haired black girl cartoon characters
Borrows cds from the library because it's the closest thing we have to Blockbuster
Reach out to Kush to discuss our Youth Power Collective.
The Cost of Conformity
Public speaking is a powerful skill that every student should learn. It can help young people advocate for a better tomorrow, today - but only if we're careful about how we teach it.
Watch our founder, Shawon Jackson, explain the importance of communication skills and critical consciousness.
Bess Cohen Director of Strategy and Operations
Greg Groves
Program Manager
Kush Thompson
Program Manager
Ana Wright
Manager of Inclusive Curriculum and Teacher Programming
Former Staff and Interns
Aisha Balogun Research Specialist (Summer 2020)
Aura Barrera
Research Specialist (Summer 2020)
Irene Gómez
Education Specialist (Summer 2020)
Kahlil Greene
Education Specialist (Summer 2020)
Inara Jain
Program Intern (2021-2022)
Eduarda Machado de Souza Special Projects Intern (2021-2022)
Jaileen Pierre-Louis
Research Specialist (January 2021)
Caleb Ren
Research Specialist (January 2021)
Lauren Hogan Education Specialist (Spring 2020)
Joshua Jordan Education Specialist (Spring 2020)
Alex Kuehn
Research Specialist (Spring 2020)
Clare McLaughlin Research Specialist (Spring 2020)
Meg Pantell
Data & Evaluation Specialist (Spring 2020)
Venus Ayalani
Curriculum Design Intern (2022-2023)
Kassie Colon Special Projects Intern (2021-2023)
Samantha Anderson
Program Evaluation Intern (Summer 2022)
Karem Katary
Growth Strategy Intern (Summer 2022)
Mickey Mickle
Special Projects Intern (Summer 2022)
Elijah Thomas
Special Projects Intern (Summer 2022)
Nour Abdelwahab
Program Intern (2021-2022)
Liana Fu
Communications Intern (2021-2022)
LaHannah Giles
Communications Intern (2021-2022)
Haylee Huynh
Communications Intern (2021-2022)
