Alli Kelly, MSW, joined the ACLU of Michigan as the Clerk Engagement Organizer for Southeast Michigan in October 2022. Throughout her career so far, Alli has worked towards community change in a variety of capacities. She completed a B.S. in Sociology from Michigan State University in 2017 and later worked for three years at a refugee resettlement agency in West Michigan, where she provided direct services to newly arrived refugees and collaborated with refugee leaders to develop community-based educational programming. She went on to complete an MSW from the University of Michigan in 2022, during which she studied theories of political social work, policy analysis, and community organizing, with the goal of contributing to systems-level change.
She put theory to practice during a year-long internship with two labor unions at the University, the Lecturer Employees’ Organization (LEO - AFT Local 6244) and the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO – AFT Local 3550). She built union strength through organizing conversations with workers and supporting campaigns to build worker power. She was integral to the development of GEO’s Climate Caucus, where she advocated for investing in the transit workforce and expanding public transportation for all.
Alli’s perspective is shaped by her social service and labor organizing background, and the fundamental believe in the inherent worth of all people. She is thrilled to be working with the ACLU and Southeast Michigan community members to protect democracy, as public participation in democracy is foundational to addressing all social inequities. When not working, she can be found swimming laps or tending to her many houseplants.