Curated biographies brought to you weekly by @producedbyallah

The decision to fund police over public schools is not new or unique. For decades, the NYPD budget has steadily increased while both municipal and state governments have siphoned money away from public school classrooms. This defunding has made New York City one of the most unequal school systems in the country, with the most underserved schools serving Black and Latinx communities.

“In her time here she has flourished as a core organizer in the fight against the racist deployment of metal detectors and police in schools, and has always agitated for the actual resources that make schools supportive. Gillian is a talented interventionist the world desperately needs-- bringing dissent where there is injustice, injecting laughter where there is quiet.”

On a Saturday afternoon in March, two weeks before quarantine, high school activist and YA-YA member Amirat Maiyegun addressed a crowded room at a community center in Brooklyn. “The wrong people have too much control over our safety and not enough accountability” she said, evoking shouts of support from an audience of Highland Park and East New York residents.