Friend,

As a political home led by and for young folks, we know the power of our stories. It is through these stories that we can change policy, culture, and lives. That’s why the Our Folks program exists and why we are thrilled to announce the 2021-2022 cohort! There is so much power in our stories, and the voices of LGBTQ+ Youth of Color.

Check out URGE’s Choicewords blog and see the amazing stories our previous bloggers have provided us. Every week from September through April, our new cohort of Our Folks bloggers will be updating our Choicewords blog with original content.

Everything produced by cohort members is done so using the Reproductive Justice framework covering topics ranging from economic and climate justice to racial justice, comprehensive sex education, and everything in between.

We have witnessed a global uprising for Black lives. This movement for racial justice — and more importantly Black liberation — is being led by young people. Young people who are Black and brown, queer and trans, and low-income have and continue to do the grassroots work necessary to create a just world.

As a political home led by and for young folks, we know the power of our stories. It is through these stories that we can change policy, culture, and lives. That’s why the Our Folks program exists and why we are thrilled to announce the 2021-2022 cohort!

Kimani Leftridge,  Columbus, Ohio, She/They

Kimani Leftridge is currently an Anthropology and Sociology major at Spelman College. Kimani loves writing and talking about politics, they have aspirations of becoming a college professor and continuing to work in the field of journalism. If they are not writing, they can be found organizing, involved in political discourse, reading or painting. In addition to being a writer, Kimani is also a visual artist who's pieces often have the same subject matter as their writings.

Antoilyn Nguyen, Santa Ana, California, Any & All pronouns

Antoilyn is an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania who is planning to major in Gender Studies and Bioethics. They are incredibly passionate about reproductive education and would like to be a gynecologist in the future. In their free time, they enjoy figure skating and listening to music while bullet journaling.

Hannah Ezell, Dallas, Texas, She/Her

Hannah Ezell is a student, organizer, and writer with experience working for political campaigns and advocacy organizations. She began her journey in electoral organizing in Kansas where she worked for the Kansas Democratic Party and now dreams of using her experience to advocate for marginalized communities. Hannah resides in Texas where she can be found burying her nose in a book or watching Love Island.

Maralyn Doering, El Paso, Texas, She/Her

Maralyn is a graduate student in the Sociology department at the University of Cincinnati. She has an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and a M.A. in Sociology from the University of Texas at El Paso. Maralyn’s research interests include reproductive rights and reproductive justice, long-acting reversible contraceptives, sterilization, and Latinx reproductive health.

Taylor Charles, Fairhope, Alabama, She/Her

Hi! My name is Taylor Charles. I am a 20-year-old Gemini sun from Fairhope, AL with a passion for boybands and helping people.

I know I am excited to see what this year's Our Folks cohort is going to come out with. Follow our journey by bookmarking URGE's Choicewords Blog.

In Solidarity,