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Ashley HareAshley is an arts administrator working with artists and organizers who share values in dismantling systemic oppression. Code-switching as a young, multiracial, queer, female in institutional artistic and political spaces where she holds no systematic power, has given Ashley years of insight to collaboratively create effective, long-term strategies towards ending injustice. Her practice centers civic arts and cultural engagements to shift power and voice to those white supremacy has tried to make invisible. She is also co-founder of ReFrame Youth Arts Center in South Phoenix.
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Mary StephensMary's practice engages civic engagement and cultural citizenship through the arts, with demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships with diverse communities locally, nationally and internationally. Mary's work advances visibility, representation, and power-sharing between local, state and national artists and organizations. Key to her method is leadership development, building strong partnerships, and intersectional approaches to institutional community engagement. Her curatorial work focuses on bi-national relationships between Mexico and the United States, and curating site-specific artistic experiences that address social issues.
Mary received her B.A. in Theatre from Arizona State University, and an M.A. in International Peace & Conflict Resolution from American University in Washington, DC. |
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Joseph LariosJoseph grew up a poor Gay Latino kid from the wrong side of the tracks. He watched his mom organize the community to fight back against gangs and drugs that had taken over the neighborhood. Seeing ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things was a powerful lesson.
Joseph graduated from Arizona State University, where he fought alongside construction workers at the Arizona AFL-CIO and co-founded the AZ Worker Rights Center to give workers the tools to stand up to harassment and wage theft. He went on to help form Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy (CASE) that developed community programs and municipal policy. He has brought the community together to have a voice at the ballot box and make politicians pay attention to our neighborhoods, which did more than change who represented our community, it set a higher bar for community engagement in city governance and ensured a voice for underrepresented communities. He has a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from Arizona State University. |
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Raji Ganesan
Raji Ganesan is the daughter of South Indian immigrants, a tenacious sister, and a super fun aunt. She is an educator, facilitator, dance & theatre artist, and healing justice worker committed to the lives and well being of young people. Named a 2019 Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Leader, she seeks to ensure that schools and classrooms serving BIPOC youth center love, justice, community wisdom, and trauma-informed practices. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @mostlyraji to keep up with her various adventures in performance, healing, pedagogy, advocacy & good cooking.
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This Mississippi girl moved to the Valley 10 years ago and has had her hand in a little bit of everything-- but “all the things” made sense! She has a great passion for youth, the liberation of Black women, racial justice, HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) advocacy, educating and volunteering with teen girls of color, and all things art related. Ebone began her career as a medical translator/interpreter for Spanish speaking patients, moved on to being an Account Executive for a local radio station, progressed into entrepreneurship and becoming Program Director for a local non profit where her main focus was on the operational and sustainability opportunity of a group home for parenting and pregnant teen girls in the West Valley. She owns a local art business and enjoys traveling to re-focus and re-center herself on what it means to be a part of the bigger picture. Ebone is also the fundraising chair for the Greater Phoenix Urban League Young Professionals and takes great pride in volunteering and community focused initiatives. Ebone received her degree in Speech Communications from Jackson State University.
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