Kiara Jones

Kiara Jones, growing up, watched her family travel outside their neighborhood for basic needs like food, education, healthcare, and exercise. Today, Kiara is a college graduate with a passion for addressing health disparities in low-income, predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods, like her own.

Kiara works in her hometown to earn extra revenue for farmers of the East Palo Alto Community Farmers’ Market. Sustaining this market is the only way residents gain access to affordable, organic, local foods.

Kiara has a B.A. in African American Studies with a concentration in Public Health from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. As an undergraduate, Kiara produced, researched for, and hosted radio shows on environmental and health topics. In her senior year, she provided social commentary on African-American women’s health in her segment called “Kika4Kale Radio.”

Kiara dedicated college to research and reporting and summers to community organizing in her neighborhood. As a Food Systems Change Agent and a Student Leader in Service member (Americorps positions), she taught and implemented garden, environmental, and nutrition curriculum in programs for youth and coordinated Cooking Matters™ classes for patients of her community health center.

Upon graduation, Kiara landed a dual internship at that community health center and the food justice non-profit she currently works for. She collaborated with both organizations to create a Black History Month event that promoted healthy cooking for African Americans.

Kiara plans to obtain a Master of Public Health degree in Health Services Organization from The University of Texas School of Public Health.

Kiara is equally passionate about West African dance and theater. She had the privilege of studying the two at the University of Ghana during a study abroad experience.