“I believe a more just, equitable and inclusive world comes from building institutional power in which people are central in making decisions about the economic, social, and cultural operations of their communities.”

Rukia Lumumba is a transformative justice strategist, human rights activist, and the Founder of the People’s Advocacy Institute. She works with communities to develop alternative responses to crime, and has prevented the incarceration of 4200 young people of color. Her vision for her work is drawn from her family, a long line of freedom fighters. She is the daughter of the late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and Nubia Lumumba of Jackson, Mississippi. Recently, she led the campaign to elect her brother Chokwe Antar Lumumba Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi.