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Jalyn Radziminski is one of the 2020-2021 recipients of the Racial Equity Grant. Her project focuses on expanding Count US IN, the first non-partisan non-profit voting rights organization in Indiana dedicated to more inclusive and equitable political participation. With the grant, Jalyn through Count US IN launched the Racial Justice and Accessibility Fellowship.
Since January, Count US IN has been hard at work launching this Fellowship, bringing together five Fellows who have been working to increase voter turnout and civic literacy in Indiana.
Watch this video to learn more about the Fellowship.
The Fellows, Clarence, Danicia, Lindsey, Monique, and Venus are dedicated to increasing racial equity and accessibility in the spheres of civic engagement and voter turnout.
The five Fellows, Clarence, Danicia, Lindsey, Monique, and Venus are dedicated to increasing civic engagement and voter turnout. Indiana has consistently placed in the bottom five states for civic literacy and voter turnout for the past five years. The lack of access to voting and civic engagement affects Hoosiers who are Black, live with a disability, and/ or have experienced incarceration at disproportionate rates. The Fellows, Clarence, Danicia, Lindsey, Monique, and Venus are dedicated to increasing racial justice and accessibility in the spheres of civic engagement and voter turnout.
One of the Fellows, Clarence Underwood, “aim[s] to be accessible to the unheard voices in the community of the minorities and represent them in the arena’s that they have long been forgotten in.” He is an aspiring motivational speaker and author who has worked in grassroots organizing to increase participation in community politics.
Venus Dabney, another Fellow, is “an advocate for organizations that promote and encourage inclusion.” She has a career in social work and education, spending many years working with juveniles in residential placement facilities and classrooms. Not only is she an active advocate, but she is also a mother of two.
Monique Vargas, the third Fellow, was born in Alaska and moved around in a military family, but now calls Indiana her home. She is passionate about reducing the inequality that students face. She hopes to build her advocacy skills and networks in order to work towards this goal.
The fourth Fellow, Lindsey Battiest, “firmly believes in the need of diverse coalitions to effectuate change against targeted issues.” She is the Founder of the Rising Rainbow Coalition, Inc., a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that works to strengthen socio-economic conditions and civic engagement in marginalized communities in Indiana.
Last but not least, Danicia Monet, the firth Fellow, is “an arts and culture ambassador and urban planner pursuing her PhD on the User-Experience of Race. She challenges the ideas of public space and place-making to encourage a people-centric status quo.” Although she is based in the US, she is an avid traveler.
The five Fellows have launched a webinar series named “Counting on Your B.I.Ds” (Counting on your Black, Incarcerated, and Disabled communities)
These five Fellows have launched a webinar series named “Counting on Your B.I.Ds” (Counting on your Black, Incarcerated, and Disabled communities). The webinars ran every Friday of April with the goal of showcasing intersectionality, solidarity, and community power in civic engagement.
Check out Venus’ premiere presentation:
Keep up with and support Count US IN via their Instagram @countusindiana and their website here.