Steering Committee Members and Organizations
The ACIJ Steering Committee is charged with carrying out the Coalition’s mission and consists of the eleven following Alabama-based civil rights and social justice organizations, and individual at-large community members.
At-large Individual Community Members
Helen Rivas, Birmingham
Mayra Rangel, Oneonta
Natividad Gonzalez, Clanton
Teresa Flores, Alexander City
Gaby Sullivan, Foley
Member Organizations & Steering Committee Representatives
Alabama Appleseed
Zayne Smith
Alabama Appleseed is a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 1999 to identify significant needs in the State of Alabama, tackle their root causes, and craft practical, lasting solutions to systemic problems through legal advocacy, community involvement, and policy expertise.
Alabama Arise
Kimble Forrister
Arise Citizens' Policy Project (ACPP), founded in 1994, is a statewide nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of congregations, community groups and individuals whose mission is to promote state and national policies that improve the lives of low-income Alabamians. ACPP's sister organization, Alabama Arise, is an advocacy coalition comprising the same membership.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama
Olivia Turner
The ACLU of Alabama is an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union and is a non-profit, private organization. The ACLU’s principles are those of the Bill of Rights. The ACLU of Alabama continues the ACLU’s eighty-five year tradition of defending the rights of even the least popular members of society, for when those rights are lost for one, they are lost for all.
Greater Birmingham Ministries
Angie Wright
Greater Birmingham Ministries is a multi-faith, multi-racial organization dedicated to serving people in need, pursuing justice, and building stronger communities. GBM is an expression of the commitment to social justice and to mercy and compassion for all which is found in the core beliefs of these faith communities. GBM's initial focus on responding to poverty and building faithful community relationships for all people continues to guide its work today.
Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama
Isabel Rubio
The Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the social, civic and economic integration of Hispanic families and individuals in Alabama. ¡HICA! engages and empowers Alabama’s Hispanic community and its numerous cultures as an economic and civic integrator, social-resource connector, and statewide educator.
Immigrant Youth Leadership Initiative of Alabama
Victor Cuicahua Palafox
Founded as Alabama Dreamers for the Future in 2011 in direct response to anti-immigrant legislation, the Immigrant Youth Leadership Initiative of Alabama is an independent group composed of undocumented youth and allies who are actively working toward healthy conversation on immigration, communication between students and educators, and the direct empowerment of the undocumented community in Alabama. By educating, organizing, and empowering leadership within undocumented youth, we hope to be able to build up the power and capacity of undocumented youth in Alabama and provide a medium for undocumented youth throughout Alabama to have their voices heard. IYLIA is the first independent immigrant youth-led organization in the state of Alabama to fight for, educate, and organize undocumented youth and their communities.
NAACP Alabama State Conference
Benard Simelton
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
Southern Poverty Law Center
Meredith Cabell
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a nonprofit civil rights organization based in Montgomery, Ala., the birthplace of the modern civil rights movement dedicated, and dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society.
At-large Individual Community Members
Helen Rivas, Birmingham
Mayra Rangel, Oneonta
Natividad Gonzalez, Clanton
Teresa Flores, Alexander City
Gaby Sullivan, Foley
Member Organizations & Steering Committee Representatives
Alabama Appleseed
Zayne Smith
Alabama Appleseed is a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 1999 to identify significant needs in the State of Alabama, tackle their root causes, and craft practical, lasting solutions to systemic problems through legal advocacy, community involvement, and policy expertise.
Alabama Arise
Kimble Forrister
Arise Citizens' Policy Project (ACPP), founded in 1994, is a statewide nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of congregations, community groups and individuals whose mission is to promote state and national policies that improve the lives of low-income Alabamians. ACPP's sister organization, Alabama Arise, is an advocacy coalition comprising the same membership.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama
Olivia Turner
The ACLU of Alabama is an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union and is a non-profit, private organization. The ACLU’s principles are those of the Bill of Rights. The ACLU of Alabama continues the ACLU’s eighty-five year tradition of defending the rights of even the least popular members of society, for when those rights are lost for one, they are lost for all.
Greater Birmingham Ministries
Angie Wright
Greater Birmingham Ministries is a multi-faith, multi-racial organization dedicated to serving people in need, pursuing justice, and building stronger communities. GBM is an expression of the commitment to social justice and to mercy and compassion for all which is found in the core beliefs of these faith communities. GBM's initial focus on responding to poverty and building faithful community relationships for all people continues to guide its work today.
Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama
Isabel Rubio
The Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the social, civic and economic integration of Hispanic families and individuals in Alabama. ¡HICA! engages and empowers Alabama’s Hispanic community and its numerous cultures as an economic and civic integrator, social-resource connector, and statewide educator.
Immigrant Youth Leadership Initiative of Alabama
Victor Cuicahua Palafox
Founded as Alabama Dreamers for the Future in 2011 in direct response to anti-immigrant legislation, the Immigrant Youth Leadership Initiative of Alabama is an independent group composed of undocumented youth and allies who are actively working toward healthy conversation on immigration, communication between students and educators, and the direct empowerment of the undocumented community in Alabama. By educating, organizing, and empowering leadership within undocumented youth, we hope to be able to build up the power and capacity of undocumented youth in Alabama and provide a medium for undocumented youth throughout Alabama to have their voices heard. IYLIA is the first independent immigrant youth-led organization in the state of Alabama to fight for, educate, and organize undocumented youth and their communities.
NAACP Alabama State Conference
Benard Simelton
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
Southern Poverty Law Center
Meredith Cabell
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a nonprofit civil rights organization based in Montgomery, Ala., the birthplace of the modern civil rights movement dedicated, and dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society.
