Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor
Appointment will help further organization’s fight for justice.
New York, NY — The National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC), has announced that Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor, founder of the National Black Cultural Information Trust, Inc., has been appointed to the NAARC as a commissioner.
“We are thrilled that Jessica is joining NAARC as a commissioner. Her background is exemplary and her commitment to bringing the conversations about overdue reparations, race and income based housing discrimination, and other issues that directly affect Blacks in America have proven to help advance equality and justice work on a national level,” said Dr. Ron Daniels, Convenor of the NAARC.
“Jessica is part of a new generation of leaders that will help keep these conversations and this work moving forward, and undoubtedly expedite the day when Blacks in America are able to fully realize the promise of true freedom.”
Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor is a reparationist, Pan African activist, and cultural communications specialist based in the Washington, DC area. The National Black Cultural Information Trust, Inc. shares cultural information, stories, and resources that uplift the collective freedom of Black communities, while correcting cultural misinformation.
“It is a great honor to join the National African American Reparations Commission, serving as a commissioner,” says Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor, Founder of the National Black Cultural Information Trust, Inc. “NAARC has been a longstanding source of guidance, clarity, and information concerning the movement for reparations. Reparations are the key to repairing the harms done to our ancestors and our communities. They’re also the key to protecting the future of Black America. My ancestors were enslaved in the deep South and struggled for the right to live their lives freely. That struggle continues through the current generation of their descendants, including myself. We must hold their memory sacred, bring their truth to light, and continue their struggle for freedom and repair. With their memory as our guiding light, we advocate for reparations with the understanding that they are more than just a financial exchange. It’s about our human rights, our right to exist fully and freely, and our future. We are here to tell the story. We are here to complete the task at hand.”
In her past role as the Associate Director of Communications at the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), Aiwuyor spearheaded strategic communications for federal housing discrimination lawsuits against Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, and Facebook Inc. She also led communications efforts in NFHA’s federal lawsuit against the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) concerning the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule. Additionally, Aiwuyor led communications for state lawsuits concerning race, color, familial status, and source of income housing discrimination.
In addition to her work with national organizations and firms, Jessica Aiwuyor serves as the Communications Chair for the Global Pan African Movement, North America (GPAM), is a member of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA), and is a member of the #Case4Reparations Advisory Committee.
Aiwuyor has a bachelor’s degree in African World Studies from Fort Valley State University. She has a Master of Arts in Pan African Studies from the African American Studies Department of Syracuse University and a Master of Science in Public Relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, also at Syracuse University.
