Arekia Bennett

United States

Arekia Bennett is dedicated to providing platforms for marginalized youth to share their voices, including the LGBTQ community and women and girls of color. She co-founded a collective dedicated to educating black college women about reproductive health and black women’s history. Arekia is a powerful advocate for LGBTQ rights, comprehensive sex education in Mississippi schools, and reproductive justice.

This project aims to advocate for comprehensive sex education and reproductive rights through the political and popular education of young people.  By politicizing young people through advocacy and the direct engagement in the political process the project hopes to have young people help forth a legislative agenda to have comprehensive sex education incorporated into all Mississippi public schools.

Rise Up Cohort: Youth Champion 2017