Sulafa Khalid is a Sudanese American organizer, researcher, and human rights defender with experience in gender equality, preventing violent extremism (PVE), and militarized masculinities. She has worked across Sudan, Tunisia, Lebanon, Iraq, and the US, combining policy, community organizing, and intersectional approaches grounded in social justice. She holds M.A.s from Columbia University and Queen Mary University of London and will begin her PhD this year.
Sulafa leverages arts and literature to promote social change. She spearheaded the Open Mic Movement to foster youth creative expression in Sudan, launched a photo exhibition highlighting refugee stories in Kos, Greece, and organized a two‑day literary event in Tunis celebrating the life and work of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, sponsored by the Arab League and the Tunisian National Theater. Her influence has inspired poets such as K. Eltinaé, who wrote “Tusk” after conversations with her in Madrid about youth, poetry, and collective imagination. Her work empowers communities to take collective action toward justice and transformation.
