A passionate advocate and youth organizer, Shaquana Boykin works closely with the Forum’s SparkAction team to enhance Opportunity Youth United’s digital presence. She produces content, coordinates social media, and launches creative events and activations. As a community activist and youth movement leader, Shaquana’s work centers around opportunity, justice, food and environmental justice, tenant rights, safety initiatives, wellness and access to the arts. In addition to her work with the Forum, Shaquana is currently a Food Sovereignty Organizer at Brooklynx Movement Center, a Community Leader with deOYUnited, and an NYC Bike Share Advocate. She also serves as Chair of Programming on the Board of the Fort Greene Park Conversancy, Friends of Commodore Barry Park, is a member of the Public Allies Alumni Board, and the Children & Nature Network Young Leaders Advisory Committee. (She doesn’t get a lot of sleep!)

Before joining the Forum, Shaquana worked with the Northeast Brooklyn Housing Development Cooperation, the Flatbush Tenant Coalition, managed CSAs and the City Harvest Mobile Market, and coordinated New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) gardeners at Ingersoll, Whitman & Farragut Houses, to name a few. A native Brooklynite, Shaquana holds an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts from CUNY’s Kingsborough Community College & a Bachelor’s in Legal Studies from CUNY’s New York City College of Technology.