Ayanna Polk is a champion for intergenerational activism and civic engagement. She comes to Boston by way of Southern New Jersey, demonstrating a long-standing commitment as a community leader. Her life as an activist began as the NAACP College Chapter President for Stockton University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Literature and specialization in Digital Literacy.

In her 14 years of local, state, and national leadership in the NAACP, Ayanna was considered an advocate for intergenerational involvement in policy changes concerning education, health, voter empowerment, and criminal justice. As a Regional Lead of the NextGen Alumni Council, Ayanna supports the next generation of the organization's leaders in upholding the national GOTV strategy, community engagement efforts, and internal development of fellows in the NAACP NextGen Professional Leadership Program.

In 2019, Ayanna was appointed to the SPARK Council, which inspired her to join the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement to expand the scope of issues impacting gender and racial equity in Boston. Now, with her work as Director of Community Engagement and Communications, Ayanna leads the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet in its engagement initiatives and partnerships. Ayanna also shapes intersectional policy initiatives through her leadership in organizations such as New Leaders Council and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

She looks forward to furthering her message of activism with her mantra, “Being an activist means you are an active part of the solution, no matter how big or small. Equity is not a spectator sport.”