DeJuana Thompson, President/CEO of BCRI, is Stepping Down to Focus on Fall Elections

By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times DeJuana Thompson will step down as president and CEO of The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute to focus on voting rights activities and community organizing in advance of the national political elections in the fall, the institute has announced. Thompson, who was named to lead the BCRI three years ago told The Birmingham Times on Thursday it was “an honor to serve the institute” and she plans to continue that work. “The work is critical now more than ever to revisit our history and to draw from both the strength and the strategies as we fight for [the future],” Thompson told The Times. “I am excited to take what I’ve learned from that experience into the next phase.” Thompson is turning her attention on leading Woke Vote, the 501c3 voter education and advocacy organization she founded in 2017, to solve voting rights issues. She intends to start a nationwide engagement tour aimed to inspire action across the country, particularly among Black and brown communities. “Given the current state of the country, we must both protect institutions like BCRI and safeguard our democracy,” Thompson said via a news release. “My work with Woke Vote will...