M. Zulayka Santiago, MPA. Founder & Creative Director Libelula Consulting, and departing NCEJN Board Co-Chair. Read her book!
Although I have admired the work of NCEJN for many years, my formal relationship with this organization began in June 2020. During this tumultuous summer, Danielle Purifoy (board chair at the time) reached out regarding the possibility of a consulting contract to guide NCEJN through an organizational restructuring process. In my role as independent consultant, I wholeheartedly welcomed this work, and what was supposed to be a 6-month contract, kept extending and evolving as the organization’s needs and capacity shifted.
I culminated my work as a paid consultant for NCEJN in the Spring of 2021, however my love for NCEJN had only expanded during my time as consultant. So much so that when I was invited to re-join the organization as a board member in May of 2022, the response was a resounding YES! Not only would I be able to continue supporting the organization (though now in a volunteer versus paid role) but I would also help the board transition into a shared leadership model by serving as Co-Chair with Ajamu Amiri Dillahunt (the grandson of one of my most beloved movement elders).
I am proud to have been part of the team that helped birth the 3 Co-Director leadership model currently in place at NCEJN. Although there have been some growing pains along the way (as there usually are with any group of humans working together) this shared leadership structure has proven to be a wise and useful fit for NCEJN. It makes sense that an organization that centers justice and equity also invests in offering a life-affirming alternative to the hierarchical models with one leader on top.
For most of its history, NCEJN has been a heart and volunteer driven organization. Fueled primarily through the love and leadership of its matriarch, Naeema Muhammad (among many other dedicated leaders), NCEJN has grown from a scrappy, working board, grassroots group to a more well-established nonprofit with a growing staff that needed more structure and support. The three existing Co-Directors, Dr. Rania Masri, Dr. Chris Lamont Brown, and Dr. Valerie Ann Johnson each brings their own unique strengths, wisdom and creativity to the leadership of this organization, and it has been a gift to learn alongside them on this journey.
After 2.5 years of serving as Co-Chair of the board, in December of 2024 I made the decision to step down from this role. This was not an easy decision to make as my commitment to this work will be life-long (I am a link in the chain!). And…I am also a believer in board-terms creating space for new voices, in being mindful of not over-extending myself, especially when my own health and demands for caretaking of loved ones in my life has taken a different priority.
I make this decision with a peaceful heart, knowing that the work will continue, led by some of the most brilliant and courageous leaders I’ve ever met.
I am so grateful for the formal and informal ways that I have connected with NCEJN over the years. I am in awe of the passion and perseverance of movement leaders like Naeema Muhammad, Don Cavellini and so many others that have dedicated their lives to this work and left an imprint on my heart. Although my connection to the organization has shifted, the love is still there, and will continue to evolve and grow in the years to come.
“Even
After
All this time
The Sun never says to the Earth,
‘You owe me.’
Look
What happens
With a love like that,
It lights the whole sky.”
― Hafiz
