Levin Njogu

2022 IVLP Impact Award Project: Vancouver Black Library Grand Opening and Outreach ProjectCanada

Levin Njogu is a communication and stakeholders’ specialist with more than five years of experience working in senior political roles across Canada, including Chief of Staff to the Minister of Education and Training for the Province of Manitoba. He has worked with stakeholders on diverse issues ranging from reconciliation, LGBTQI+ priorities, anti-Black racism, immigration, national security matters, and employment insurance reform.

He works on thought leadership and stakeholder relations for a leading Vancouver-based financial institution with a focus on the equity and climate justice spaces. Levin is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Political Science. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Vancouver Black Library Grand Opening and Outreach Project

Fifty years after the destruction of Hogan's Alley, Vancouver's historic Black neighborhood, young activists at the Vancouver Black Library (VBL) sought to re-establish a community hub for Vancouver's Black community through the creation of a free-to-use library and communal safe space for Black and BIPOC folks.

Through this project, 75 youth organizers and local government officials were engaged with at a Grand Opening celebration event for the VBL in September 2022. As a result of the project, VBL leaders made new connections, built community and inspired other groups across Canada to research starting their own Black libraries.

"I think the community and the library as a whole, was very positively impacted by this event - It was almost unprecedented for a small, DIY, community library!" - Project Participant

IVLP Exchange Experience

Levin participated in the IVLP Project Black Leaders and Voices, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center.

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually

Birmingham, AL; San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC; Detroit, MI; New York City, NY

"Meeting community leaders from across Canada to learn from the experience of American academics and officials was a personal and professional highlight. It illustrated that the strong bonds between our nations run deep between our respective peoples." - Levin Njogu

Country: Canada

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