<p>Peace and Love!&nbsp;</p><p>I'm Jai' (He/Him) !&nbsp;</p><p>I am originally from Baton Rouge, La, and have had the honor and privilege of making New Orleans my political home. With roots here through maternal family, I have always had a deep yearning&nbsp; to build and grow here. I moved from home in 2012, to pursue a higher education, and it was a very short time before I realized that the education system, criminal justice system, and many other institutions I would engage with daily were not built for my survival. I left school to dedicate a year to national service through the AmeriCorps, and was able to build an unimaginable relationship with the peers Id been asked to support through that work.&nbsp;</p><p> I have had the pleasure, over the past 5 years to work with the amazing organization, BreakOUT!, fighting the criminalization of LGBTQ youth of color in New Orleans. Throughout that time I was able to hone countless skills in organizing, leadership, youth development, training, and so much more. I have had the privilege to lead historic policy winning campaigns, as well as advocated directly with local officials such as they Mayor and City Council Members. I have also implemented&nbsp; multiple leadership development programs for young people.&nbsp;</p><p>I have continued this work since parting with BreakOUT! in May 2018, through work with other local groups like the Southern Organizer Academy.&nbsp;</p><p>I am extremely excited to expand my skills and experience through work with other organizations invested in challenging the criminalization of communities of color through a lens centering those most directly impacted by white supremacy, capitalism, and patriarchy.&nbsp;</p>