India Post News Service
CHICAGO: Viveka Ray-Mazumder, manager of youth advocacy and civics education program KINETIC at Asian Americans Advancing Justice, was named among 14 Leaders For a New Chicago.
The awardees were selected by the Field Foundation of Illinois, and supported by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Leaders For a New Chicago recognizes a range of established and emerging leaders who work across boundaries to build a Chicago that is responsive and equitable to all. As part of winning the award, both Viveka and Advancing Justice, Chicago, will receive $25,000 each.
Viveka plans to use the personal $25,000 to pay off debt and put some of the amounts toward savings. As for the organization’s slice of the pie, the Rogers Park resident hopes it will allow the nonprofit to improve language access at the city and state level, continuing what the nonprofit’s youth currently do in schools.
Viveka has been managing KINETIC, Advancing Justice Chicago’s program for immigrant and refugee youth in CPS since the inception of the program.
Their work to build power by and for immigrant youth has resulted in a successful campaign to change policy at the CPS district level, as well as recognition by the Chicago City Council.
Prior to joining Advancing Justice Chicago, she was a legal advocate for the Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois and an organizing intern with Herstory Writers Workshop in New York.
She holds a B.A. in Sociology from Middlebury College, where they led numerous workshops and training for students, staff and faculty relating to issues of identity and social justice.
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