Ayaan Ismail (she/ her)

Ayaan is a Black Muslimah living and working on the stolen and occupied Coast Salish territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam, Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Peoples as a refugee-settler. She is invested in community organizing and creating decolonial, culturally appropriate, and accessible spaces for dialogue. Through BYI she is excited to create intentional youth spaces that center the joy, leadership, and expertise of Black and Indigenous youth. She is a founding member of the Black in BC Mutual Aid Fund team which raised funds to support Black community members in BC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ayaan holds a Master’s degree in Migration and Diaspora Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies.