Jeimy Ibarra is an immigrant from Mexico and has lived in Pittsburgh for the last 22 years. Growing up, Jeimy and her family felt isolated and alone. Navigating a new city with a language barrier and being treated as an outsider really pushed Jeimy to create a welcoming environment for others. The challenges and obstacles Jeimy has both experienced and overcome drive her to organize and work for change because she’s experienced how having more conversations with one another makes us feel less alone and more connected to a larger community. She currently is the Deputy Organizing Director for PA United, a community organization that works to connect communities of color with white working-class communities in counties across Western PA around issues of equitable development with environmental protection, increasing the minimum wage, criminal justice reform, and support for workers organizing in unions. PA United organizes people by connecting issues with politics and building a multi-racial, working-class movement for long-term change.
Jeimy started out as a Youth Organizer for Casa San Jose, and created programs from the ground up to engage Latinx youth by empowering them to become strong leaders in their communities by understanding the role that community organizing, team-building, and education play in their lives.
