Category: Alumni Stories

By Clay Horton My hands are shaking as usual as I grip onto the cold bathroom sink; water drips down my face, mixing with tears as I whisper to myself. I suffocate on the cotton candy scented soap that I’ve covered myself in. Clouds of doubt and self-hate swirl around me as I try to Read More

By Aiden Aizumi Pride is love. It is lifting each other up, standing together, crying together, celebrating together. Pride is a revolution. It is showing the beauty in our differences, letting our intersections shine. Pride is anger. It is the collective pain we feel when trans women of color are taken too soon. It is Read More

By Anjeneé Cannon “Damn fool!” you shouted as the showcase contestant bid over her prize amount. “I told her that was too high.” “You know people on the T.V. can’t hear you, right?” I smirked. “Mind your business!” you replied, sticking out your tongue, thumb on the tip of your nose, wagging the other digits. Read More

Anabel Maldonado needs some well-deserved rest after a big year. An alum of Public Allies Arizona (‘12), Anabel has not reached her 30th birthday, yet she has significantly impacted the political landscape of her home state of Arizona and beyond. Raised by Mexican immigrants who worked as support staff in Arizona Public Schools, Anabel grew Read More

Public Allies welcomes Mark Payne, Public Allies Chicago Alumnus (’97), to the role of Executive Director for Public Allies Chicago. As Executive Director, Mark assumes the helm of the oldest, continuous-running site in the our network with a rich history of addressing the systemic inequities in one of the largest cities in the country. Mark’s Read More

By Lillian Holden “Now, don’t forget to pour out the smoked turkey juice from the pot, and don’t use the turkey broth for your green. It messes up the flavor,” exclaimed my well-wishing mother over the cell phone. It had been two years since moving from underneath my parents’ roof, and after longing for a Read More

  “2020 Don’t Look Back” is a spoken word piece by alum Ray Johnson (Cincinnati ’20), who performs under the name Silence Priest. This piece is part of Public Allies’ campaign to highlight voices of Black members, Alumni, staff, and partners throughout Black History Month.

  “Being Black Is Lit” is a spoken word piece by alum Kwyn Townsend Riley (Chicago ’19). This piece is part of Public Allies’ campaign to highlight voices of Black members, Alumni, staff, and partners throughout Black History Month.

“Awakening” is a spoken word piece by alum Rajah Satterwhite (North Carolina ‘17): I gotta full beat face And a bigger waist Tip-toeing in my block heels Trying to cultivate hope so my block heals Every night I stay plotting awake These injustices too much, I don’t know how much more we can take Focusing Read More

[Content warning: Profanity] By Freda Epum You board a bus and it seems as though there is a sea of Black people. If it weren’t for the fact that your skin is brown, your hair is curly, your eyes are black and almond, and you’ve got a nice ass (or so you’ve been told), you’d think Read More