New Voices 2022

Two new people have joined the Young Quaker Voices program in its second year of operation, focused on the 2022 legislative session. This program provides education for under-30s in the state legislative process through involvement in Quaker Voice working groups.

Abby Griffith is a Fellow with the Disability Mobility Initiative at Disability Rights Washington. A native of Ethiopia, she grew up and still lives in Vancouver, Washington. She recently earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Development, with a Certificate in Human Services Case Management and Administration from Washington State University Vancouver. She testified last spring before the Washington Senate and House Transportation committees, speaking about the benefits of improving public transit and infrastructure, like sidewalks, for her and anybody with a disability. She has also been a speaker on transportation justice with Front and Centered. You can see her opinion piece on investments in sidewalks and transit on the web and read her story on the DRW Initiative website. She is working with Quaker Voice on the transportation needs of people who are disabled as part of the Economic Justice working group.

Byrne Crandell, who lives in Olympia, is a student at Evergreen State College. Brought up a Unitarian Universalist, Byrne was introduced to Quakers in a freshman year at Earlham College and joined FCNL’s Spring Lobby Weekend in 2019. Walking the halls of power in the other Washington, Byrne became fascinated with Friends approach to justice work, including the way that radical ideas like abolitionism and pacifism are inherent in Quaker beliefs. Byrne is excited to join the Economic Justice working group, focusing on mental health services.

Ian Stanfield, one of last year’s Voices, is coordinating the program this year. For more information, contact Ian at .