Chavi Khanna Koneru

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Chavi Khanna Koneru (born 1983) is an American Hindu Punjabi journalist and lawyer who is the executive director and co-founder of North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT).[1][2][3] She worked for the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in 2008 before going on to the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights.[4] She was also the a policy director for NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina (NaralNC) before she co-founded and directed NCAAT in 2016.[5][6][7] She has been honored by Cary Magazine and awarded the Gold Futures Challenge Prize.[8][9][10]

Early life and education[edit]

Koneru was born in 1983 in Oakland, California before moving to Durham, North Carolina when she was six years old.[5] In 2006, she obtained her undergraduate degree in journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[4][11] She also earned a graduate degree in law in 2009 from the same university.[4][10][11]

Career[edit]

In 2008, Koneru worked in the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division while in her third year of law school at UNC Chapel Hill.[5][11][12] After graduation, she worked at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and the pro-choice organization NaralNC before co-founding North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT) in 2016 with Ricky Leung.[5][10][11][12][13] NCAAT is a non-partisan nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase civic engagement in the Asian community in North Carolina.[10] In 2021, she was recognized as an Honoree of the Women of Western Wake by Cary Magazine.[8] In 2022, Gold House awarded her the Gold Futures Challenge Prize.[9]

Affiliations[edit]

Koneru is a 2023–24 council member for the North Carolina Council for Women.[14] She is also an executive committee member of the Asian American Power Network.[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Asian American vote carries newfound weight in swing state N.C." NBC News. 2020-10-23. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  2. ^ "Who We Are". North Carolina Asian Americans Together. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  3. ^ kvanfleet (2022-12-13). "APIAVote and NCAAT Warn of Dangers Against Voting Rights Case of Moore v. Harper". APIAVote. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  4. ^ a b c "Chavi Khanna Koneru | Southern Mix". southernmix.sites.unc.edu. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  5. ^ a b c d "Asian American advocate Chavi Khanna Koneru on belonging in the South | Facing South". www.facingsouth.org. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  6. ^ Preston, Sarah (8 July 2016). "Putting NC politicians on notice about abortion rights". www.newsobserver.com. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  7. ^ Price, Todd A. "How the role of Asian Americans has transformed politically in the South". The Asheville Citizen Times. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  8. ^ a b "Presenting the 2021 Women of Western Wake | Cary Magazine". 2021-08-31. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  9. ^ a b "Futures Accelerator – Social Impact". Gold House. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  10. ^ a b c d "Women of Western Wake: Chavi Khanna Koneru | Cary Magazine". 2021-08-31. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  11. ^ a b c d e "LEADERSHIP & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE". AAPN. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  12. ^ a b "Our Staff & Board – NCVCE". Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  13. ^ Dave, Paresh (2020-10-27). "Fake news spread on WhatsApp to Indian Americans plays stealth role in U.S. election". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  14. ^ "NC Council for Women | NC DOA". www.doa.nc.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-26.