Bio
Sophia Bos-Shadi is a 2022 graduate of Georgetown University, with a major in Justice and Peace Studies and minors in Anthropology & Arabic. She was born and raised in Kankakee, Illinois, and has been involved in advocacy and organizing since 2015. While attending Georgetown, Sophia channeled her passion for social justice into action by advocating for victims of interpersonal violence.
In 2020, Sophia focused on community organizing in support of direct actions for justice for Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor & George Floyd. Passionate about challenging the systemic injustice of the carceral system and its impacts in her community, she co-founded the Illinois Prisoner Rights Coalition (ILPRC) at 20 years old. Under Sophia’s leadership, ILPRC has built an advocacy structure that responds to human rights violations against incarcerated people in Illinois while simultaneously leading advocacy campaigns to secure accountability and necessary change from law enforcement and state agencies.
Sophia was a member of the ACLU’s inaugural cohort of Pauli Murray Fellows. In this role, which was designed to invest in historically marginalized leadership in the Nonprofit field, Sophia was honored to walk in the legacy of the civil rights legend Dr. Rev. Pauli Murray. Sophia was one of four fellows selected for this fellowship and worked in the national Communications department. In all her work she was honored to serve her community and looked forward to expanding her knowledge and capabilities to effectively instigate transformational change.