Z! Haukeness

Z! Haukeness is a long-time racial justice organizer and writer working at the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality and ability on various campaigns and projects with a home base at SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice). They are trans, gender non-conforming and have worked in various local, statewide and national organizations rooted in racial justice with a focus on other interconnecting systems of oppression and liberation.

They have been part of winning victories such as stopping the building of a new jail, creating 100 units of low-income housing, starting co-op housing for homeless youth, and passing trans health care for county workers. Z! has been published in various anthologies, local newspapers and national publications. Z! won the LGBTQ Advocate of the year award and the MLK Humanitarian Award in Madison WI in 2016.

They come from the small town of Strum,WI, lived in Madison, WI for the past 15 years, and now live in Louisville, KY. They are the auntie of many friends’ and family members’ kids, and a cat lover. Their work is very spiritually based, with an eye towards the magical, and rooted in love for new possibilities of getting free.