In Memoriam
Elandria Williams was the Executive Director at PeoplesHub from 2019 to 2020. She also provided development support to cooperatives, mostly in the Southern United States, and was a co-editor of the book and web platform Beautiful Solutions, a project that is gathering some of the most promising and contagious stories, solutions, strategies and big questions for building a more just, democratic, and resilient world.

Prior to her time at PeoplesHub, Elandria spent eleven years working at the Highlander Research and Education Center, first as the youth/intergenerational programs director and then helping co-coordinate Economics and Governance programs such as the Mapping Our Futures Curriculum and the Southern Grassroots Economies Project.
She served on the board of the Southern Reparations Loan Fund (SRLF), and on the boards of the US Solidarity Economy Network, Appalachian Studies Association and the Movement for Black Lives Policy Table, and was one of the Co-Moderators of the Unitarian Universalist Association. You can read more about their work with the Unitarians and in movements in these obituaries from groups she worked with:
Collection of Elandria's Work
Here is a collection of Elandria's work. If you have something of E's that you'd like included, please email info (at) peopleshub (dot) org.
E's writing:
- YouTube: Elandria reading their celebrated poem "We Are Worthy" in 2020
- Vimeo: Memorial video featuring the "We Are Worthy" poem and photos of E's life
- Website: Pushing Forward on the value of relationships for Unitarian congregations
- Website: Beautiful Solutions (stories)
- Website: Beyond Development (The Global Working Group)
- Website: Voices from the Field — The Need for Transformative Hybrid Online Spaces (NonProfit Quarterly)
Podcast and TV interviews, reports, webinars, panels, and more — in rough chronological order from most recent to oldest:
- PDF: Beyond Transition (published in 2021 after E's passing) reviewing some of their work at Highlander on Transformation in the South
- YouTube: Disability Justice and COVID-19 Webinar with Elandria Williams and Black Disabled organizers (2020)
- YouTube: Ableism and Our Movements — Learning From Covid Circle (gathering held by PeoplesHub in 2020)
- Instagram Live Video: Elandria sharing why the solidarity economy matters for free Black futures (2020)
- Instagram Live Video: Elandria on why to give to solidarity economy work (2020)
- YouTube: Elandria interview with the EJPN — Environmental Justice Practitioners Network about Beautiful Solutions (2020)
- Vimeo: Ask a Practitioner interview with Elandria and Aaron Ammons (2020)
- YouTube: 2020 Earth Day Reflection (National Cathedral 2020 Interfaith Earth Day Service)
- Apple Podcast: Coronavirus — Wisdom From a Social Justice Lens featuring Elandria Williams on Irresistible Podcast
- Apple Podcast: Finding Community and Internet Access During COVID-19 with Elandria Williams on Make It Plain with Mark Thompson (2020)
- YouTube: Radical Economic Democracy — A Meaningful Journey (2019) Elandria Williams and Mabrouka Mabarek interview (REA transcript)
- YouTube: Elandria at a Jackson Rising event about struggles for economic, cultural, and social rights in the South (2016)
- Website: Written interview with Elandria on Community Wealth Building with Steve Dubb (2016)
- Podcast: Country Queers interview with Elandria about growing up and being queer and trans in Appalachia, and the STAY Project for Appalachian youth (CQ transcript PDF)
- Website: Interview with Elandria responding to the 2014 State of the Union address, heard on Hard Knock Radio
- YouTube: Recitation of Elandria's work Meditation on the Power of We
- Website: Video appearances on C-SPAN related to Youth the 2008 Election (2007) and Conscientious Objection and Military Recruitment (2006)