“Interning with Lift Louisiana”
by Annika Vanderspek
As I continued my internship with Lift Louisiana this semester under the direction of Co-Executive Director Lakeesha Harris, my role shifted with the ebbs and flows of a nonprofit.
Upon returning to New Orleans after completing the Black August Freedom Ride in late August, I shifted my focus toward wrapping up and preserving our work. For my first project, I created a digital resource booklet highlighting the many organizations from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Chicago, Illinois, represented on the Freedom Rides. In doing so, I became familiar with various nonprofit and social justice resources that focused on everything from birth justice to prison abolition to trans healthcare. This booklet also included information on the current state of abortion law in each state: Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Illinois. Creating a document that juxtaposed the frightening reality of abortion restrictions on one page with inspiring coalition building on the next felt representative of the work reproductive justice/feminist advocates do every day. In the fight for bodily autonomy, we are simultaneously faced with fierce opposition and inspired and sustained by our comrades’ support and radical care.
After completing my digital resource booklet, I shifted my focus toward assisting in developing the LASexEd campaign. In particular, I assembled a resource list for future school board outreach. To do so, I compiled contact information for each school board in Louisiana and made a list of farmers’ markets and other community events in each parish. Before working with Lift, I was unaware of how much planning and organization go into successful campaigns. My work on the LASexEd campaign has given me invaluable insight into the kind of work that goes into the foundation of campaigns, from developing long-term goals to creating informative spreadsheets.
LIFT Louisiana Interns, Annika and Sophia, with Co-Executive Director Lakeesha Harris
My time at Lift Louisiana has taught me so much about the inner workings of reproductive justice organizations. From campaign development to execution to reflection, I have had a first-hand look at the time and effort that turns ideas into action. For that, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to intern with Lift Louisiana and for the incredible mentorship of Lakeesha Harris.