As we pivot into this year’s election season, we’re thrilled to be able to expand our community organizing and ramp up our field campaigns. In the rest of April, we’ve got so many great events and volunteer opportunities already planned, and moving into May we’ll begin a return to in-person activities. We can’t wait to get started, and we’re so excited to meet you, and to work in community alongside you. We’ve got a great team at Equality Arizona, and today we’re going to introduce you to the organizers responsible for our events and volunteer activities.
Shelby Young and Onyekachi Ekeogu share years of organizing and event planning experience, and each carries a wealth of knowledge about social justice and public policy. Shelby will be bringing her expertise in digital organizing and voter registration to her work leading our volunteer phone banks, while Onyekachi applies their research, education, and communications skills to community organizing and field strategy. To learn more about these amazing activists, read their bios below!
Shelby Young | she/her
Shelby is a community organizer and activist from Downingtown, Pennsylvania. When she moved to Arizona to pursue a degree in Microbiology at the University of Arizona, she discovered her love for activism and advocacy. After joining the Black Student Union for three years, she served as the Co-Executive Director for the Coalition of Black Organizations, overseeing 14 Black-led organizations. For the last two years, she focused her work on amplifying the Black voter turnout and addressing Black social justice issues. Outside of work, Shelby enjoys running around Tempe Town Lake and is pursuing a Master’s in Educational Policy at Arizona State University.
Onyekachi Ekeogu | she/they
Studying social justice and social movements for over a decade, Onyekachi Ekeogu has pursued various topics related to U.S. law and legal proceedings, interpersonal violence and the second wave feminist movements, disproportional sentencing, and U.S. People of Color movements, the criminal and medical status of marginalized sexualities, and Queer liberation movements. Onyekachi brings research and adult education experiences in university and community spaces to their role at Equality Arizona. In their spare time, Onyekachi enjoys being the lead organizer for Friends of MOVE and Maroon Riders in Phoenix, Arizona where they bring together their insights on movement tactics and fervor for justice in these positions.
What the Team is Working On
5pm Tonight | Town Hall: Voting Rights in Arizona
6pm April 19 | Learning the Political System: What is the History of the U.S. Government?
6pm April 20 | Community Focus Group
6pm April 26 | Stories in Politics
6pm April 27 | A More Equal Arizona with Keshet and Arizona Jews for Justice
6pm April 27 | Forum: Nonprofit Community Research
April 30 & May 1 | Volunteer at the Rainbows Festival
