Shiden Tekle
Community Organiser
They/Them
WHAT MAKES ME HOPEFUL?
What makes me hopeful is being around the members of my own community. The happiness and pride I feel when around other black queer people reminds me of the beauty that comes from our culture.
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY?
The number of people who are excluded from access to state funding and public resources, and are not given the support they need to sustain a life. I’m angry that the police harass marginalised groups. I’m angry that homelessness is getting worse by the day. I’m angry that I get followed from aisle to aisle when buying something from a shop. A lot of things make me angry, and they will continue to make me angry.
Bio
I’m a community organiser at The Advocacy Academy. I have an eye for detail and a heart full of passion. During my time I have co-organised campaigns on racial justice through "Legally Black" and "The Halo Code," tackling discriminatory practices based on hair type and skin colour. I have won an MTV EMA award and a Marie Claire award from both campaigns. I also studied Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary, University of London and I love to talk about the current political climate. I have been actively involved with the Advocacy Academy since 2018 and since then, I have developed a profound compassion for community organising, project and events planning, and everything to do with community engagement.
Outside of work I spend my time working on events for black queer folk, while also picking up DJ’ing on the side. I aim to take the essential themes of community organising and embed it into the fabric of these events. I do my best to have fun and enjoy what life throws at me, while having the most fun I can possibly have.
