Our goal is to amplify on-the-ground Black Lives Matter organizers and activists. We do not wish to detract from these efforts by highlighting our team, but we believe people should know who we are to maximize transparency and credibility.
Meet Us
President, Co-Founder
Alexandria J. Maloney, MPA
Alexandria is a diversity and inclusion professional with over 8 years of experience in community engagement and cultural affairs. She has extensive experience overseas and professional experience with the U.S. Department of State and the White House Initiative for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). She is currently the Director of Communications for Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA).
Vice President, Co-Founder
Vannary Kong
Vannary is a graduate student at Harvard University studying cybersecurity and public policy. Vannary served as the 2019 U.S. Youth Delegate to the G20 Summit and presented its communique at the U.N. High-Level Political Forum. She has personally worked with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the White House National Security Council, World Trade Organization, Inter-Monetary Fund, and World Bank advocating for intellectual property protection and economic development.
Executive Director
Jennifer Zhang
Jenn is a student at Columbia University studying political science. She is the National Economic Policy Coordinator for the Roosevelt Network and U.S. Youth Policy Liaison for OneMillionOfUs. Jenn served as a teenage youth representative at the 2018 and 2019 G20 Summits, and is currently a member of the U.N. Major Group for Children and Youth and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy. Jenn is the managing editor of the Issue Briefings series. She can be reached at jzhang.twiw@gmail.com.
Senior Director
Britney Paddy, MA, QMHP
Britney immigrated to the United States from Negril, Jamaica in the early 2000s. She graduated from the Morgridge College of Education (MCE) at the University of Denver in 2018 with a Master of Arts in counseling psychology, a concentration in clinical mental health, and a specialization in addiction. She is the first Caribbean student to graduate from MCE’s counseling psychology program. Britney served as a compliance officer and collective medical manager for the Inter-Cultural Center for Psychology and has extensive experience with the judicial system as a mental health investigator. Britney is the managing editor of From Our Eyes magazine. She can be reached at bpaddy.twiw@gmail.com.
Director of Public Health
Laurel G. Huffman, MPH, CPH, RDN, LDN
Laurel is a public health professional, researcher, and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) within governmental and higher-education settings. She has over 9 years of experience promoting health equity through her work in public health, nutrition, maternal and child health, and research at the local, state, and federal levels. Laurel is the executive producer of the BLM Global Chats series. She can be reached at lhuffman.twiw@gmail.com.
Director of Communications
Morgan Williams
Morgan is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and German language & literature. She has experience with both for-profit and non-profit organizations and is crisis communication certified. She can be reached at mwilliams.twiw@gmail.com.
Director of Membership
Ebony Clemmons, BS
Ebony is a graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Biological Sciences. Her professional career includes over 6 years of experience working on political campaigns and with community organizations providing underrepresented populations with access to educational tools and health resources.
Public Health & Membership Associate
Bethany C. E. Harvey, MS, CHES®
Bethany has a Master of Science in Health Studies from Texas Woman’s University with a concentration in community health. She has seven years of experience with health and wellness coordination in local government, academia, and research. She is now pursuing a license as a Community Health Worker.
Director of Social Media
Kadian Hall
Kadian is a first-generation university graduate. She immigrated to the United States in the late 2000s from Montego Bay, Jamaica. She can be reached at khall.twiw@gmail.com.
Director of Research
Kiara Ortiz
Kiara is a student at Dartmouth College studying neuroscience and public policy. She served as a teenage youth representative at the 2018 Youth 20 Summit in Argentina.
Host of Black Lives Matter Global Chats Series
Anthony D. Boame
Anthony D. Boame received his bachelor’s degree in political science and creative writing at New England College. He works for ELEV8 Enterprises as an Executive Assistant. Anthony has experience working with political leaders at various levels of government.
Co-Host & Social Media Associate
Tyler Smith
Tyler Smith is a Howard University student studying political science and international affairs. In his local community, Tyler has worked with government officials and organizations to host civic engagement workshops and facilitate societal discussions in his local community. Tyler also serves as a student ambassador for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum where he teaches tourists about the influence of hate on society.
Director of Multilateral Partnerships
Jonathon Cummings, MPA
Jonathon has a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA) with a concentration in government, politics, and policy studies. He is a current member of the Steering Committee for the Alliance for South-South Cooperation.
Partnership Liaison
Sharnice Rollins
Sharnice is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in political science and a specialization in international security and intelligence. Her professional experience includes over 8 years of community-building, economic development, and international peace efforts. She is an active member of the UNA-Orlando Chapter and most recently served as a U.S. student delegate to the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Italy and the Yucatán.
Secretary
Priscilla Zhang
Priscilla is a student at Northeastern University studying political science and business administration on a pre-law track. She was a teenage youth delegate at the 2019 Youth 20 summit and is deeply focused on the intersection between business and environmental policy.
Resident Digital Organizing Expert
Somaya Laroussi
Somaya is a long-time grassroots organizer in and around the greater Boston area. She holds a coordinator position at Revere Education Justice Alliance (REJA) and Revere Youth in Action (RYiA). She is a rising sophomore at Boston University double majoring in international relations and environmental science, Young Professionals in Foreign Policy member, teenage youth representative at the 2019 Youth 20, and attendee of the 2020 Youth 7.
Advisory Board
Public Policy Expert
Richard D. Elliot
Richard is currently a PhD candidate at Johns Hopkins University studying American and Maryland politics. He has extensive experience in political and grassroots organizing, having worked in over a dozen local and state level campaigns. Richard received his Bachelor of Arts in American studies from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Organizing & Advocacy Expert
Chinedu Nwokeafor, MS
Chinedu is an experienced political organizer in Baltimore City with over 10 years of experience successfully mobilizing Black communities around social change issues. Chinedu’s recent accomplishments include playing an active role in the 2020 HBCU equity lawsuit with the State of Maryland. He is a graduate of Morgan State University, a member of multiple international organizations, and a 2019 Forbes Under 30 Scholar.
Black Lives Matter Academic Expert
Sahil Lauji
Sahil is a senior at Harvard University studying government and comparative religion. He is from Atlanta, Georgia, and is passionate about the intersection of racial justice, human rights, and foreign policy. He founded and runs the Harvard Undergraduate Foreign Policy Initiative (HUFPI). Sahil spearheaded the federal government’s first-ever First-Generation Professionals (FGP) Program at the U.S. Department of Commerce and promoted racial justice initiatives at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Open Positions
Please follow our LinkedIn page to see any open position postings. You can also reach out to Jennifer Zhang at jzhang.twiw@gmail.com for hiring information.
Join Us
We are a collaborative organization and value everyone’s input. We are constantly looking for ways to grow and improve our existing work. Do you want to get more involved? Have an initiative idea? Or contacts you want to share? Would you like to join our core team? If so, please contact us.
Follow us on LinkedIn here.
