Raised in apartheid South Africa, Angelique Kedem paid daily witness to the shameless injustices of poverty, humiliation and lack of access to opportunity for people of color.

These early experiences of injustice coupled with coming of age during the first democratic elections held in her native country fueled Kedem's determination to usher in real change for the global community of color.

Arriving in the United States with a Master's degree from the University of the Western Cape, Kedem began her work teaching developmental English in the Texas junior college system. "I came to find a good many of my students could barely read and write and yet somehow made it to the junior college level. It raised many questions about the education system." A short time later, Kedem witnessed the injustices of stereotypes while teaching special education in an Oklahoma elementary school.

When Kedem arrived in Minnesota in 2002, her formal antiracism work began in earnest.

Volunteering in youth programming and public policy education for the Women's Initiative for Self-Empowerment (WISE) and the State Council on Black Minnesotans opened her eyes to the "disparities that exist for children of color in this state and I've seen the need for really deep structural change."

Today, Kedem is the Minnesota coordinator for the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). Her tireless efforts to address the structural and personal biases behind racial disparities, engage community members in public policy development and improve the administration of justice are critical in the creation of a racially equitable juvenile justice system and racism-free community.