Ajani Anderson

Ajani Anderson is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she completed a double major in Art History and African and African American Diaspora Studies.

Ajani is passionate about using art as a vehicle for advocacy and reform in education, community-building and civic engagement. At the core of Ajani’s work is her belief in the transformative power of art when it is made accessible to communities and when it is used to cultivate creativity. During her time at UNC, she was awarded the Sean Douglas Fellowship at the Sonja Haynes Center for Black Culture and History, and volunteered at the FRANK gallery in Chapel Hill.

Ajani’s background and talent in art studies and compelled her to work in her own communities as both a muralist for local businesses in Chapel Hill and Durham, and as a Servant Leader at Wake Forest University’s Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School. Collectively, these experiences have helped to fuel her passion for combining art with systemic change.

Ajani is committed to advocating for underserved communities and, through the Oak-MDC fellowship, is enhancing her skills as an activist through both systemic change strategies and community organizing. She is learning how to leverage the important role that philanthropy can play in partnering with communities to create shared approaches to sustainable solutions.