Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari (she/her/hers) is advocacy director of the New York State Alliance for Quality Education (AQE), the leading statewide organization that has been fighting for educational justice in New York State. She has 20 years of experience in organizing and advocacy for education justice as both a leader and staff member. Zakiyah has tremendous skills and experience developed from being a parent of eight New York City public school students, being a parent activist, and working for AQE for more than a decade. In addition, Zakiyah volunteers with the NY Justice League which works to end childhood incarceration and is the Rapid Response Coordinator for the Resistance Revival Chorus.