Juliet De Jesus Alejandre
Executive Director - Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA)
Juliet is LSNA’s first new executive director in more than 30 years.
For 14 years under Juliet’s leadership, LSNA’s Youth Organizing Team developed a strong racial justice framework that centers Latinx youth from the community in actions, policy conversations, and strategy meetings. She leads Latinx youth to do the critical work of healing from internalized antiblackness and anti-indigeneity in order to heal and deepen organizing efforts across other communities. Growing up in the same community as LSNA’s youth leaders, she has done deep work around healing justice and racial and gender equity with youth and parent leaders both locally and regionally. She has also formally studied issues that most deeply impact ALAANA communities. Juliet’s work is both specifically local and strategically connected to city and statewide coalition building and national movements. LSNA’s Youth Organizing Team partners with other community-based organizations like Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and Asian Americans Advancing Justice, citywide coalitions and organizations such as Generation All, Grassroots Education Movement, and the Grassroots Collaborative, and statewide bodies such as the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and the youth collaborative NextGen Illinois.
Though her previous title was youth director, Juliet had been recognized for a long time as an organizational leader, bringing a deep political analysis and organizing framework to issues that penetrate the neighborhood, especially as Logan Square has been experiencing an exponential increasing rate of gentrification. She leads collectively, bringing LSNA staff and youth into decision making and using every opportunity to build the capacity of those around her and has a commitment to racial justice and restorative practice. Educators, youth, restorative justice practitioners, and other community leaders who are currently working across Chicago credit her as the catalyst for leadership roles.
