Najha Zigbi-Johnson (she/her) is committed to building Black power and social movements through cultural, curatorial and civic engagement work. She is a graduate of Guilford College and Harvard Divinity School, where she explored Black American social movement history and Black cultural production. While at Harvard as a Presidential Scholar, she co-founded and led the course "Freedom School: A Seminar on Theory and Praxis for Black Studies in the U.S." and co-edited the associated publication, "Freedom School Magazine." Most recently, Najha was one of two Community Fellows at the Graduate School of Architecture Preservation and Planning at Columbia University during the 2021-2022 academic year.
For over two and a half years, Najha labored and loved as The Director of Institutional Advancement at The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, the site of Malcolm X's later organizing work and subsequent martyrdom, where she spearheaded the strategic growth and re-establishment of the institution and state historic preservation site. Currently, Najha teaches the political science seminar, The Future of New York at The Macaulay Honors College at The City College of New York, and is editing the forthcoming publication, Mapping Malcolm, with Columbia University Press, where she will explore the socio-political legacy of Malcolm X in the built environment throughout Harlem and the greater Upper Manhattan community.