Neriah Otu

Neriah Otu is a community leader and Co-Founder of Purple Tie Foundation. Her work focuses on building programs that young people can use as they move through different stages of their lives.

In Grade 11, Neriah founded Students for Change after addressing a harmful classroom comment toward a Muslim classmate. Over six years, she worked with teachers on anti-racism education; the program trained more than 120 staff members and contributed to an equity module in her rural school district’s staff orientation.

At the University of Alberta, Neriah served as President of the Black Students’ Association. Through her community work and writing, she continues to focus on sustained support for young people.