Valeriana Chikoti-Bandua

Valériana Chikoti-Bandua is a human rights defender, racial equity strategist, and diversity and inclusion leader whose career spans advocacy, consulting, and public service. A former refugee from Angola, Chikoti-Bandua has focused on gender equality and socio-cultural issues, advocating for the advancement of women and children from immigrant, refugee, and underprivileged backgrounds. As a survivor of childhood violence, she has drawn on her personal experiences to inform her professional mission of addressing abuse and oppression based on identity and gender.

As the founder of Necessary Interruptions LLC, Chikoti-Bandua is a strategic human rights and racial equity consultant with more than 13 years of experience in efforts to end violence and support refugee, immigrant, and marginalized communities. Her work centers on racial equity, interrupting anti-Blackness, and amplifying Black immigrant and refugee voices. She has contributed to public discourse through speaking, writing, hosting, and facilitating conversations in a variety of settings. Chikoti-Bandua has developed strategies and tools for individuals, nonprofit leaders, board members, businesses, and corporations seeking to address anti-Blackness and implement equitable hiring practices.

As a member of the Angolan Mission to the United Nations, Chikoti-Bandua collaborated with Southern African Development Committee member states to help pass the HIV/AIDS girl child resolution during the Commission on the Status of Women. Her TEDx talk, "Protect the Girl Child," delivered at TEDxFIU, shared her personal story as a displaced refugee and advocated for vulnerable children globally. She also appeared in the short documentary "Black Pioneers," which highlights African American pioneers and their societal contributions.

Chikoti-Bandua has served as interim executive director of Social Justice Fund NW, a social justice philanthropy in the Pacific Northwest. She has spoken about reparations for Black communities and advocated for increased funding for grassroots initiatives led by Black individuals. Chikoti-Bandua has emphasized the need for agencies to move beyond one-off diversity and equity trainings to address systemic racism within organizations. Her work with the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence has helped participants understand how oppression manifests across the socio-ecological model and the importance of early intervention.

Through her consultancy, public speaking, and platform, Chikoti-Bandua provides expertise on racial liberation, centering Black liberation efforts, and interrupting anti-Blackness. Her leadership supports businesses, agencies, and organizations in adopting anti-oppressive practices and building safer environments for Black communities. Chikoti-Bandua's journey from refugee to diplomat to founder and executive leader positions her as a knowledgeable voice in the field of equity and social justice.