Steering Committee
STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Donald Anthonyson, Families for Freedom
Donald Anthonyson is an organizer with Families For Freedom (FFF), a New York-based multi-ethnic defense network by and for immigrants facing and fighting deportation. FFF seeks to repeal the laws that are tearing apart our homes and neighborhoods and to build the power of immigrant communities as communities of color, to provide a guiding voice in the growing movement for immigrant rights as human rights.
FFF has evolved into an organizing center against deportation and is a source of support, education, and campaigns for directly affected families and communities — locally and nationally.
Donald was born in Antigua and is involved in Civil Society and social issues in Antigua and the Caribbean. He is a member and past president of the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) the largest environmental group in the Easter Caribbean. He is also a member of the NGO Network (ANU), which he has represented at forums including the CARICOM Heads of Government meetings and the EU/ACP trade and development meetings. Donald migrated to the US and have been involved in various social issues ranging from police brutality (Elenanor Bumphus Justice Committee) and anti-racial responses (NYASA) to immigration. He is also involved in community organizing of the Antiguan Diaspora in New York. At FFF, Donald was a former Board member and led the efforts of the International Deportee Justice Campaign and produces our monthly radio show on 99.5 FM WBAI.
Amanda Jackson, Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights
Amanda Jackson possesses a background in global affairs, rooted in highlighting structural based inequalities and socio-economic challenges. Amanda has shown demonstrable leadership on two intercontinental issues, food security and immigration throughout the Southeast, West Africa, and Mexico; and has led many issue and electoral based campaigns. Amanda’s expertise in grassroots organizing, advocacy, and organizational development has been leveraged to build proactive civil and human rights coalitions across the country. With a seven year background of managing public interest projects, Amanda is an experienced nonprofit management professional with a specialty in building communities and strengthening leaders. Amanda is passionate about service and volunteerism and is very involved in civic organizations. Amanda also loves reading, the theatre, and traveling.
Trina Jackson, Network for Immigrants and African Americans in Solidarity
As an activist and organizer, Trina Jackson has facilitated numerous trainings, workshops and dialogues on racial justice, anti-oppression organizing, and reproductive justice for women of color. In addition to coordinating the work of NIAAS (Network of Immigrant and African Americans in Solidarity), she works as an organizational development consultant to social justice nonprofits in Boston. She has served as an advisory board member of the Mass CEDAW Project, is a founding member of Boston Incite! Women of Color Against Violence, Boston Women of Color Coalition for Reproductive Justice, and serves on the Board of Directors for Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE), an environmental justice organization. Born and raised in Kentucky, Trina also studies African American women’s environmental activism and recently completed a paper on African American women’s gardening traditions from slavery to the present. She is also a writer, amateur nature photographer, loves yoga, and talking daily walks around the pond in her neighborhood.
Alethia Jones
Alethia Jones is an independent scholar and trainer affiliated with the Center for Policy Research, University at Albany (State University of New York). She creates and conducts trainings for community organizations that combine personal reflection with attention to social justice and social change. She is co-author (with Guillermo Perez) of the “Let’s Talk Immigration!” curriculum which offers constructive dialogues on the contentious topic of immigration and of “SEIU and Immigration Reform: Why We Care” (with Maria Robalino). Her research, teaching, and writing addresses immigrant integration, urban and racial politics, community banking, and worker rights. Prior to entering academia, she served as lead policy staff to New York City Council Member Una Clarke, the first Caribbean-born woman elected to that legislative body. She managed a policy portfolio that included health, housing, welfare and transportation policy initiatives, with attention to the impact on Brooklyn’s Caribbean immigrant population.
Nunu Kidane, Priority Africa Network
Nunu is an activist originally from Eritrea. She is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley she has worked in Africa related program and policy developments for over two decades. She’s written and spoken extensively on migrants’ rights, land rights & resource extraction, human rights and racial justice. For the past nine years, Nunu has worked in grassroots mobilization of new African communities in the Bay Area and nationally. In January 2012 Nunu was recognized as a “Champion of Change” and received an award from the White House for the work with new African diaspora communities. She is founding member and current Director of Priority Africa Network (PAN), an advocacy organization based in Oakland, California and serves in the Steering Committee of BAJI.
Francesca Menes, Florida Immigrant Coalition
Francesca Menes, the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator with the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC), was born and raised in Miami, Florida in the community of Little Haiti. In 2008, she graduated Cum Laude from Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Francesca majored in Political Science and Women’s Studies; minored in Philosophy, and was a 2008 Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Scholar. Additionally, Francesca is currently in her master’s program in Public Administration.
Her primary responsibilities are coordinating the Florida Wage Theft Task Force and building the capacity of FLIC’s Afro-Caribbean allied organizations. She also conducts strategic legislative targeting and policy analysis to the different campaigns led by FLIC and its member organizations. For 2 years, Francesca was the coordinator of a national network of organizations fighting for the designation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status. Additionally, she is the FLIC representative to the Haitian-American Grassroots Coalition, the National Black Immigration Network (BIN), and the States Voices 501 c.3 Civic Engagement Table. Francesca also serves as a member on the Board of Directors of South Florida Jobs with Justice and was recently appointed by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sally A. Heyman to a 4 year term on the Commission for Women.
Dalitso Ruwe, Activist and Organizer
Born and raised in Zambia, Dalitso moved to the U.S in 2002. He graduated from California State University Fresno in 2012. While a student at Fresno State he was awarded the Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks Leadership award in 2008, Jan and Bud Richter Community Service Award in 2010, Outstanding Campus Student Leader in 2011 and the Outstanding Graduate Student Community Service Award in 2012 . Dalitso was recently recognized as one the Tuxedo Seven, a group of young African-American males working as role models in the Boston area through their chosen fields. Dalitso has served as the primary research assistance for McFarland Press 2012 Jayz: Essays on Hip Hop Philosophers King, Palgrave 2013, The Cultural Impact of Kanye West and Palgrave 2013 Hip Hop as a Post-Modern Art Form. He has given keynote speeches and guest lectures at Wittenberg University, The University of Nebraska, Boston University and Clark University and social and political presentations at community centers. Currently,Dalitso is pursuing his Graduate Studies in Africana Philosophy at Texas A&M.
Xia Xiang, Youth organizer and educator
BIN STAFF
Tia Oso, Black Immigration Network Coordinator
Tia is a native to Arizona and a long time social justice advocate. Tia, studied Human Communication at ASU and interned with the National Conference for Community and Justice where she organized the “Not in Our State” campaign and Black and African Diaspora dialogue series. Tia has served on boards and volunteered her time with several Valley organizations including NAACP and United Way. Recently, Ms. Oso has served on the MLK celebration committee for Community Celebrating Diversity and worked to support local independent artists. Ms. Oso is a firm believer in the ability of people to become change-makers in their community.
Tia has been the Arizona Organizer with the Black Immigration Network’s host, the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) for the past 3 years, and actively engaged in BIN working groups. She is BIN’s National Network Coordinator.
Recent Posts
- Black Immigrant Network – Too Important to Die an Internet Death
- Citizenship: Pursuit of a Path Beyond Paper
- On International Migrants Day, Black Voices Call for Immigration Reform With Racial Equity
- Webinar Invite: Black Perspectives on Immmigration Reform
- Reflecting on Bin’s Development on International Migrants Day