The Detroit Justice Center is giving a warm welcome to our new Associate Executive Director of programs & strategy nikkita oliver. Hailing from Seattle, WA by way of Indianapolis, IN. nikkita is an artist, community organizer, abolitionist, educator, and attorney. They hold a B.A. in sociology with a minor in Women’s Studies from Seattle Pacific University, a Masters of Education in Social and Cultural Foundations from the University of Washington, and a Juris Doctorate.
They have been a bar licensed attorney in Washington State since October of 2015 and are currently seeking admissions into the Michigan State Bar. nikkita has served as a fellow with the Movement Law Lab and are currently a Movement Lab Lawyer-in-Residence completing a project on Democracy Defense. They have also served as the executive director and senior attorney at Creative Justice, an arts-based healing engaged space for youth and young adults impacted by the school-to-prison pipeline and other forms of systemic oppression. In nikkita’s spare time they compete as an amatuer boxer. They also are a poet and musician.
nikkita works at the intersections of arts, law, education, and community organizationing, striving to create experiences which draw us closer to our humanity and invites us to imagine what we hope to see in the future. They are excited to relocate to Detroit and assist with expanding DJC’s impact by strategically leading the program side of the organization. DJC is excited to have them aboard!