Who We Are
Founded in 2020 in the wake of an uprising against racial injustice in America, Jailed for Melanin seeks to educate users about how mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex disproportionately impact minority communities in society through the power of individual stories, jarring statistics, and a comprehensive history. We also strives to empower our users to make change through political and social advocacy, whether that means contacting a representative, signing a petition, or divesting from companies that exploit prison labor. Finally, we hope to help communities of color and other marginalized groups connect with national and local resources that they can use to navigate our complex legal system and fight for their rights.
Founders
Sarina Deb
Sarina Deb is a Junior at Stanford University studying political science, human rights, and psychology. At Stanford, she is an editor for The Stanford Daily and a director of events for Stanford in Government. She was born and raised in the Bay Area, California, and is passionate about social justice, law, and policy. Sarina became interested in criminal justice reform after witnessing the problem firsthand through working for her Congresswoman and conducting research on voter suppression of the formerly incarcerated. After college, she hopes to go to law school and work as a civil rights lawyer advocating for underserved communities.
Kaili Liang
Kaili Liang is a computer science major at Tufts University from the Bay Area. On campus, she enjoys mentoring young girls through Strong Women Strong Girls and bringing together professionals and students as the mentor program coordinator for Tufts Women in CS. She is passionate about the intersection of racial and gender justice, which led her to become an advocate for ending mass incarceration and its disproportionate impact on people of color. In the future, she hopes to build a platform that will connect people to share difficult conversations and empower one another to grow.