Civic Changemaker Stories
Everyday women are making a difference in their communities through civic engagement and participation. Read the stories of real New Yorkers who are creating change!
Rana Abdelhamid
"When I was bullied for being Muslim, I always felt like I had an army of unapologetic North African aunties who had my back... What started as a self-defense course in a basement of a community center, is now an international grassroots organization focused on building safety and power for women around the world."
Background:
Born in Queens, Rana became a civic leader as a teenager–after being attacked on the street by a man who tried to take off her hijab (headscarf). She channeled that event into a life of activism and empowerment.
Superpowers:
Activist, Political Candidate, Nonprofit Leader
Notable Accomplishments:
- As part of her healing process she founded and became Executive Director of the international nonprofit organization Malikah (formerly the Women’s Initiative for Self-Empowerment) – a global collective of women committed to building security and power for communities
- Created a Self-Defense Starter Kit, which includes resources and videos for Muslim women
- Founder of the social media project “Hijabis of New York”
- Ran for the U.S. Congress in New York’s 12th district
Tarana Burke
“At the start of my career…I wish I would have known that you don't have to sacrifice everything for a cause. And that self-care and self-preservation is also a tool that is necessary to do the work.”
Background:
Born in the Bronx, Tarana grew up in a low-income, working-class family in a housing project and is a survivor of sexual assault. She began her career at a youth development organization.
Superpowers:
Community Organizer, Advocate, Executive, Campaign Leader, Author
Notable Accomplishments:
- Founder of the Me Too Movement which became a worldwide awareness campaign about sexual harassment, abuse, and assault in society
- Former Executive Director of the Black Belt Cultural Arts Center, where she created community programs designed for underserved youth
- Helped to organize the annual Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee to commemorate the Selma Voting Rights Struggle
- Author of several books including Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement
- Created Survivor’s Sanctuary
Lydia Darly
“I’ve been a New Yorker since 2004, but got the right to vote in 2022 when I became a U.S. Citizen. Voting was important to me as the next step in my civic journey, and allowed me to choose candidates who represented my views and policies I believe in. At last, MY voice was being heard. I feel like I am paving the way for my fellow immigrants.”
Background:
Born in France (of Guadeloupean descent), and a current Brooklynite, Lydia is an actor and award-winning filmmaker who has spent her life raising the stories of people from marginalized communities and supporting women in film. Lydia proudly became a U.S. citizen in 2022.
Superpowers:
Storyteller, Activist, Nonprofit Leader, Immigrant
Notable Accomplishments:
- In 2022, proudly voted for the first time in New York and national elections
- Co-founder of the Nova Frontier Film Festival which showcases films from and about the global African diaspora, Middle East and Latin America
- Creator of the Lab which mentors youth and emerging filmmakers from underrepresented communities
Karine Jean-Pierre
“When it comes to our democracy, and who we determine to have the right to vote – our most sacred of rights – patience is no virtue. We must never be patient when someone else's rights are in the balance. We cannot wait on laws, or elected officials, or anyone else. The only virtue when it comes to the right to vote is impatience.”
Background:
Born in Martinique and raised in Queens, Karine is the daughter of Haitian immigrants. She was inspired when she heard a speech by Congresswoman Barbara Jordan – the first Black woman in politics she had ever witnessed. From there Karine pursued a life in public service.
Superpowers:
Public Service, Advocacy, Public Speaking, Leadership, Teaching
Notable Accomplishments:
- First Black person and openly Lesbian woman to serve as the White House Press Secretary
- Political Director for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign
- Author of her memoir, Moving Forward
- Professor of Public Affairs at Columbia University (her Alma Mater)
Cheryl Jones
“Volunteering is how you feel. It’s not even about anything outside of yourself. Volunteering gives purpose to my life, it’s a calling to my spirit to reach out to people. ‘To whom much is given, much will be required’ is a verse from the Bible (Luke 12:48), but service to me also means, to whom much is given, much is received. That feeling can’t be duplicated by anything else.”
Background:
A retired resident of Brooklyn, Cheryl has volunteered her entire life through her job, her church and other local organizations.
Superpowers:
Volunteering, Making Human Connections, Improving Communities
Notable Accomplishments:
- Volunteer and Team Leader at New York Cares on more than 1,000 projects, racking up 3,000 hours of service so far on projects ranging from park clean-ups, feeding people with food insecurity, yoga with kids, serving meals and reading club for seniors
- Stepping up during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase her service
May Malik
Background:
Born in Sudan, May has devoted her life to public service taking on youth development causes, fighting for immigrant issues, and taking on xenophobic policies. She has dedicated her life to public service.
Superpowers:
Public Servant, Advocate, Immigrant, Mom
Notable Accomplishments:
- As Deputy Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, May helped fight for immigration rights and helped connect people to critical resources during the pandemic
- She was the former Director of Public-Private Partnerships at NYC Service where she led and executed partnerships to address NYC’s socioeconomic challenges
- Ran for the New York State Assembly trying to be the first Black woman to represent the Upper East Side–to advocate for increased education, affordable housing, and socioeconomic progress
- May continues her career in public service in Washington, D.C. as Acting Deputy Assistant for Public Affairs, Public Education at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Thahitun Mariam
"When tragedy strikes our communities, it is impertinent to show up and care for one another. Societal care is revolutionary. Compassion and care is crucial, especially in the face of environmental degradation, societal systems failing us and our communities being under attack."
Background:
Brought up in a rural village in Bangladesh for the first six years of her life, Thahitun is a Bronx-bred Bangladeshi-American poet, writer, community organizer and activist. She focuses on issues surrounding social justice, global migration, and women’s empowerment. During the COVID-19 crisis, she channeled her energy into addressing the needs of her Bronx community.
Superpowers:
Activist, Storyteller, Nonprofit Leader, Public Service
Notable Accomplishments:
- During the COVID-19 crisis, she founded the Bronx Mutual Aid Network – an organization that allows residents to organize their own communities and help each other out. Through the concept of “mutual aid,” the organization helps people access food and supplies, pick up prescriptions and complete errands, and more – for people who are elderly, disabled and/or immunocompromised. The entire operation is a volunteer endeavor, with the goal of getting people to organize their own mutual aid networks in their buildings, blocks, and neighborhoods
- Community organizer for the NYC Office of the Mayor
- Co-founder of Bangladeshi Americans for Political Progress
- Co-founder of the Bangladeshi Feminist Collective
Kangela Moore
"We deserve a park not a jungle"
Background:
Born and raised in Brooklyn, and long-time resident of Queens, Kangela is passionate about strengthening her community, keeping it safe, and ensuring her neighbors are informed on the issues that impact them. When a woman was assaulted in the 90-acre Brookville Park, Kangela sprung into action. For more than 14 years, she has advocated and organized to keep the park “green, clean, and safe.”
Superpowers:
Advocacy, Building Relationships, Organizing, Public Service, and Volunteering
Notable Accomplishments:
- Organized community members by going door-to-door to hold a demonstration at the Board of Education District Office
- Served as President of her children's Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and supported the School Leadership Team (SLT)
- She ultimately served on the Chancellor's Parent Advisory Board and gave voice to end the inequalities that exist in schools of Brown and Black children
- Hosted several events to foster positive relationships within the community such as car seat and diaper giveaways, art workshops, and a Father’s Day barbecue
- Founded the Friends of Brookville Park group to demand a safer park for the community. As part of her advocacy, she hosted events, organized residents, took and sent photos of the park to show it had been neglected, and hosted three walk-throughs with the Parks Department including two with the Queens Parks Commissioner. As a result, the Parks Department began working to improve the safety of Brookville Park. She continues this advocacy today.
Spirit Tawfiq
“I think coming to New York made me realize that I still need to be doing this work– I need to be doing social justice work, I need to be doing education work, and I need to carry this torch that my mother is handing to me.”
Background:
Born and raised in Canada, current New York City resident Spirit Tawfiq is the daughter of Civil Rights trailblazer Minnijean Brown-Trickey. Like her mother, she is committed to help uproot racism and spent the last two decades educating and speaking out against racism in various ways, most notably with educators, in k-12 classrooms, colleges and various organizations who are invested in learning, unlearning, and enacting antiracism policies and practices within their respective communities.
Superpowers:
Storytelling, Social Justice Activism, Public Speaking, Teaching, Effective Communication
Notable Accomplishments:
- Founder of Roots of the Spirit, an organization and podcast created to uproot racism through storytelling, education and the arts
- Has worked in public service for the National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and WomensActivism.NYC
- Wrote the play, 1/9th, based on her mother’s experiences as a member of the Little Rock Nine
