DeJuana Thompson
Birmingham, Alabama | Woke Vote
When DeJuana walks into a room, she brings her whole community with her. She leads people and communities by lifting every voice and making sure that no one gets left behind. When she enters rooms where important decisions get made, she brings the hopes of thousands of people with her. She has been in rooms with some of the most powerful people in the country. She was a director at the Democratic National Committee, worked on Senate and presidential campaigns and was appointed by the Obama administration as an advisor to the U.S. Small Business Association.
She is the creator of Woke Vote, a program to train new organizers and engage historically disengaged voters across the South. In 2017, their efforts in Alabama helped elect the state’s first Democratic senator in 25 years. In 2018, they helped Florida pass Amendment 4, which restored voting rights to people with felony convictions. Next year, they plan to focus on mobilizing voters in key precincts across the South and in battleground states in order to create more opportunities for people to fully participate in our democracy.
What is the song you will listen to on repeat in 2020?
“I love all kinds of music and listen to different genres for different moments. It will probably be a mashup of Jonathan McReynolds, Cardi B, India Arie and DaBaby.”
What are you reading right now?
“I’m rereading Their Eyes Were Watching God. I always have my Bible with me and I’m also reading Love in My Language by Alexandra Elle.”
Who is your plus one?
“Kameryn Thigpen, who was a Woke Vote fellow in 2018. She started the first Woke Vote campus program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a dynamic young woman and I can’t wait for her to come fully into her womanness and queenness. She gives me hope that the work we are doing is not lost.”
Join the Movement
She the People is creating a politics we have not yet seen, one grounded in love, justice, and belonging. Join women of color across the country in making our voice and votes matter in 2020 and beyond. Are you ready?