Ahshah Kennedy welcomed as WSLC Race & Labor Intern

SEATTLE (Feb. 7, 2023) — The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO is proud to welcome University of Washington student Ahshah Kennedy as Race & Labor Intern through the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies’ Building a Movement program.

Kennedy will work in coordination with WSLC Racial and Gender Justice Director Kasi Perreira to support the council’s Racial Justice and Diversity committees, specifically planning of We Out Here! celebration of diverse labor leadership planned for Saturday, Feb. 25. In addition, she will be thinking creatively about how to share resources and information about the WSLC’s groundbreaking Race & Labor program both online and in person.

“Entering the University of Washington, I knew that I wanted to be a part of something that changes lives and works to provide resources and support to disadvantaged individuals,” Kennedy said. “I’m excited to begin the eye-opening journey with the Washington State Labor Council, working with an organization and individuals pushing towards equality, success and safety for working and oppressed people.”

Perreira said that Kennedy’s application for the internship stood out from the rest.

“We were very impressed with Ahshah’s deep understanding of racial and economic justice as one and the same,” Perreira said. “Now that Ahshah has joined our team she has already made an impact with creative ideas and willingness to dive into the work, bringing her unique and powerful leadership. Thank you, Ahshah, and the entire team at BAM – our labor movement in Washington is better because of you!”

The Building a Movement Labor (BAM) Internship is a paid internship program that connects undergraduate students at the University of Washington with the local labor movement, through partnerships with community organizations engaged with this work on a variety of levels. Students who are invested in labor and social justice advocacy are given the opportunity to explore how organizations work to make systemic and community-level changes for the benefit of working people, and make meaningful contributions to that process.