Seasoned Racial Equity Advocate, Writer and Lawyer Joins the OAP as Lead Researcher/Policy Analyst

Seasoned Racial Equity Advocate, Writer and Lawyer Joins the Organizing Apprenticeship Project as Lead Researcher/Policy Analyst
Vina Kay Brings Wealth of Knowledge and Experience to Her New Role

The Organizing Apprenticeship Project (OAP) is pleased to announce and welcome our new Lead Researcher/Policy Analyst and Writer, Vina Kay.  

Vina will pick up the reins from outgoing leader Jermaine Toney, who helped create and build OAP’s racial equity research program into a national leader in connecting organizing, research and racial equity communication strategies. 

Vina Kay grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and moved to Minnesota to attend Carleton College. After graduating from the University of Minnesota Law School, she spent several years working at the Institute on Race and Poverty, first as a Legal Fellow and then as Senior Researcher and Director of the Institute’s Racial Justice and Regional Equity Project under john powell. 

She has participated in and published numerous research and policy papers on racial equity issues in housing, development and education. She is also an award-winning writer of creative nonfiction and poetry and a filmmaker. She is currently focusing on a project that tells the story of what her immigrant parents said was their last trip back to their homeland of Thailand. 

Vina will bring a powerful combination of innovative racial equity policy research experience and creative approaches to documenting the stories of communities of color to this position. She has already spent time learning the ropes from outgoing Lead Researcher Jermaine Toney and will begin work in early July. 

OAP’s Racial Equity Research initiative includes the development of the annual Legislative Racial Equity Report Card, a Racial Equity Policy Paper series highlighting community solutions to racial inequity in the state, the development of “toolkits” to help community leaders more effectively engage around racial equity issues, and work to connect high quality racial equity research and data to community-based strategies for change. 

Welcome, Vina!