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Dr. Kiara Lee-Heart is a native of Richmond, Virginia. She holds a B.A. in sociology with a minor in Latin American and Iberian Studies from the University of Richmond and a master’s degree in education from the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. She earned her Ph.D. in education at Virginia Commonwealth University and her dissertation research focused on colorism and the lived experiences of dark-skinned Black college students. She teaches first-year students writing and critical thinking skills in the Department of Focused Inquiry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Kiara

Based in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain States, Western States Center works nationwide to strengthen inclusive democracy so all people can live, love, worship and work free from fear. We strengthen the organizing capacity of often-marginalized communities, with a particular emphasis on gender justice, racial justice and tribal sovereignty work. We provide training, leadership development and organizational capacity support to social movements and leaders committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. We convene culture-makers to shift the narrative and use culture as a vehicle for base- and