OUR PEOPLE
Monique I. Liston, PH.D
Chief Strategist & Joyful Militant
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers or They/Them/Theirs
“Sometimes it seem like to tell the truth today is to run the risk of being killed. But if I fall, I'll fall five feet four inches forward in the fight for freedom. I'm not backing off." - Fannie Lou Hamer
dr. monique liston is an unapologetic Black woman that also identifies as a warrior scholar, joyful militant, evaluator, sister and friend. As the founder of UBUNTU, her best attempt in this realm to create a safe space for Black women to use their own brilliance to defend their current livelihoods and defend the future livelihoods for Black communities everywhere. She finds her spiritual work is in leadership and facilitation. She is a lover -- as a daughter, sister, friend, and warrior. Monique cannot wait for the masses to rise up in revolutionary love and propose a new system that rejects the white supremacist capitalist militarist heteropatriarchy so she can focus on her love of food and feeding people. As best as she knows how, she is doing the work that the ancestors set out for her. She is a proud alum of Howard University and currently resides in her hometown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 🌮
More About dr. monique liston:
- Favorite Color: sunshine
- Favorite Film: Fantastic Mr. Fox
- Proudest Accomplishment: working with these brilliant and powerful group of Black folks also parallel parking in one move with a Black male in the passenger seat
- Why UBUNTU?: For me, there was no alternative.
Radaya Ellis, MPH
Research & Evaluation Strategist
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
”Couldn’t stop, even if you killed me.”- Radaya
Radaya Ellis is a Black environmentalist within her MPH, working at UBUNTU Research and Evaluation as a Researcher and Strategist. As a Public Health Practitioner, she understands the value of reflection in achieving optimal wellness. She advocates for Mental Wellness, Blackness, and Collective Consciousness. Radaya’s advocacy marries her passion for helping others and the purpose of freeing black people's minds. She actively encourage people to be their true selves. 🌴
More About Radaya:
- Favorite Color: Forest Green
- Favorite Film: The Last Dragon/Purple Reign
- Proudest Accomplishment: Contributing to The Heartland Film
- Why UBUNTU?: A safe place to eat, play, work and live. Wellness in the workplace is achieved here.
Linetta Alexander Islam, M.Ed
Restorative Healer & Pre-K-20 Education Strategist
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
“This may only be a dream of mine, but I think it can be made real.” - Ella Baker
Linetta Alexander Islam is a compassionate Black woman, author, and educator in the city of Milwaukee. She has penned a memoir entitled, “Honey and Vinegar” that is her cathartic journey of healing from the death of her father, and has implemented and developed various strategies that advance students academically, socially, and emotionally. Her primary work is within public schools with middle school children, helping them find their voices through writing and to use those voices as outspoken community members. Additionally, what she has done in her classroom, she also seeks to accomplish within her community via community work, family literacy events, poetry, original plays, and being an engaged citizen, mother, and wife. She strives daily to learn and grow to exact her full potential.
More About Linetta:
- Favorite Color: She doesn’t have one
- Favorite Film: The Godfather Trilogy
- Proudest Accomplishment: Being an overcomer and of course, being a good mom despite my trauma.
- Why UBUNTU?: Because fuck White Supremacy in education. I spent 15 years teaching in spite of it. Now the rest of my life will be dedicated to tearing this shit down!
Sojourner White, MSW
Project Strategist
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
*Hablo español*
“If you wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” - Toni Morrison
Sojourner White is a zesty Black woman who leads with curiosity, questions, and an excitement to learn. She is an avid traveler and adventurer and her combination of experiences in the U.S. and abroad influence how she moves and understands the world. Thus, Sojourner approaches intersectionality from a local to global lens and believes that systems of oppression are connected. You can often find Sojourner reading and writing because they help her learn and unlearn, so they are two activities she does daily. She is also an alumna of Public Allies Milwaukee and Fulbright Spain. 🙃
More About Sojourner:
- Favorite Color: Purple
- Favorite Film: Brandy & Whitney Houston's Cinderella
- Proudest Accomplishment: Being unafraid to speak publicly after struggling with a stutter
- Why UBUNTU? Feeling affirmed as a Black woman yet challenged to grow and expand is rare to find. But I found it here and I like the way it feels, so I stay and evolve.
Mikey murry, bS
Community Engagement & Education Strategist
Pronouns: She/Her
"I'll tell you what freedom is to me. No fear!" -Nina Simone
Mikey (pronounced my-key) Murry, also known as Mikey Cody Apollo, is a writer, filmmaker, educator, and Black feminist killjoy from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Most of her work explores themes such as race, gender, sex, queerness, and religion. In December 2018, she received her B.S in Community Engagement & Education, focusing on Community-Based Organizations: Leadership & Policy. Mikey is the author of the self-published collection of poetry titled Black Girls, Silence, and Other Things Made of Gold, which has been used in classrooms, workshops, and book clubs across the United States. When Mikey grows up, she wants to be the first Black woman to receive the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
More About Mikey:
- Favorite Color: Yellow
- Favorite Film: Moonlight (2016) dir. Barry Jenkins
- Proudest Accomplishment: Performing at the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference;
- Presenting "I Slay, You Slay: A Brief Analysis on Beyoncé and Black Female Unity" at the American Multicultural Student Leadership Conference
- Why UBUNTU? I wanted to work for UBUNTU because I value Black people, especially Black women and femmes. I wanted to work in a place that not only valued me but challenged me to be the best version of myself. I wanted to have room to grow and learn and build and make mistakes. That being stated, UBUNTU seemed like the perfect place for me!
Superior murphy, ba
Evaluation Strategist
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
"Black girl, we'll leave this fight to someone else for now/ You can close your eyes, let your hair down/ Breath in, breath out" - Tasha
Superior Murphy is an ambitious organizer that strives to preserve their peace as well as the peace of Black and marginalized folks by actively centering their own mental health as well as the mental health of others. The role of community care and mutual aid plays a large role in the way they move about the world. Aside from their role as an Evaluation Strategist, Superior utilizes social media to promote the practice of Mutual Aid, collecting and distributing financial support to the most undervalued communities. Superior loves life, plants, and people and centers unapologetic acts of self-care and love. 🥺
More About Superior: My favorite thing about myself is the shade of my skin. I LOVE yoga, travel, and warm chocolate chip cookies!
- Favorite Color: Olive Green
- Favorite Film: If Beale Street Could Talk
- Proudest Accomplishment: Being the 1st in my family to graduate from college.
- Why UBUNTU?: I wanted my work environment to feel like a community, to be surrounded and supported by Black people, UBUNTU provided that. I want to unlearn the harmful things that society pushes onto Black people, I want to go through that with UBUNTU.
Ebony Kirkendoll, B A
Education Strategist and Youth Development Practitioner
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
“When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard nor welcomed, but when we are silent we are still afraid. So it is better to speak remembering we were never meant to survive." -Audre Lorde
Ebony Kirkendoll is a tenacious, intentional and empowering, black woman who is passionate about the equitable development of young people, professionals and her home town’s future (Milwaukee). She fundamentally believes that the liberation of everyone starts at the Liberation of black women and femmes. A true Leo at heart she dreams of Broadway and choreographing her own flash mob sequence; often living in a musical in her mind. A lover of quality time with friends and family, she can also be found crafting in many mediums or hosting a social experience centered around food and laughter. As life allows she co-hosts the podcast Damn Near 30, where she and Vicki Vi go there on taboo topics, and break the façade that we all have it together by 30. She is an alumna of UW-Milwaukee, graduating with her Bachelors in Spanish Language and Literature, as well as an alumna of City Year Milwaukee.
More About Ebony:
- Favorite Color: Mint Green
- Favorite Film: The Lion King BUT the Broadway soundtrack is superior to the original film.
Proudest Accomplishments: I don't know if I can call it my accomplishment but I have so much overwhelming pride watching my 8th & 9th grade students go on to high school, graduate and turn into their most authentic selves; despite the all the teachers who said they wouldn't amount to anything. It is a pride and joy I can't quite put into words.
Why UBUNTU?: It was important to me to work in a space that would see me for all that I am and to be protected as a black woman in my work space; and I have found that here.
Dana Smith, B.S
Chief of Staff
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Dana Smith brings over ten years of non-profit experience to Ubuntu Research & Evaluation. She specializes in in providing service for resource navigation and community relations. Most recently Smith lead the education program 'Conversations with Komen presented by Kohl’s' at Susan G Komen Wisconsin. She graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in 2011 and participated in AmeriCorps Public Allies program in 2013.
More About Dana: Dana Smith is also an artist, she performs under the moniker Ms. Lotus Fankh. Lotus is the voice and mind behind the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's 2020 #1 Single release "No Funerals". She is also the writer of plays and a founding member of Heard Space, a multimedia performance arts collective led and created by womxn of color. She is a creator and collaborator.
- Favorite Color: Purple, Green, Yellow, Blue (In short it changes...)
- Favorite Film: *oof* I love films but I can always watch The Fifth Element
- Why UBUNTU?: I am dedicated to Black joy and dignity within myself and my community. I am glad to be in the position to support efforts to expand space and understanding for Black joy and dignity.
Elliot Q. Avery
Operations Strategist
Pronouns: He/Him/His or They/Them/Theirs
Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.” - James Baldwin
Elliot is a customer service and administrative powerhouse. His skills in professional administration, accounting, project management, process management, corporate training, human resources and information technology have been honed in a wide variety of specialist, supervisory and managerial roles for the past 11 years.🖤
More About Elliot: He has a perpetual curiosity for rooting out inefficiency and a zeal for learning. He holds compassion and objectivity in high regard and relishes in both of those in his interactions with fellow global citizens.
- Favorite Color: Hunter
- Favorite Film: Fantastic Mr. Fox
- Why UBUNTU?: The safety of a beloved community.