Stanford CIS

Malkia A. Cyril

Malkia A. Cyril is founder and Executive Director of the Center for Media Justice (CMJ) and co-founder of the Media Action Grassroots Network, a national network of community-based organizations working to ensure racial and economic justice in a digital age. Cyril is one of few leaders of color in the movement for digital rights and freedom. As a leader in the Black Lives Matter Network, they help to bring important technical safeguards and surveillance countermeasures to those across the country working to reform systemic racism and violence in law enforcement. Cyril is also a prolific writer and public speaker on issues ranging from net neutrality to the communication rights of prisoners. Their writing and comments have appeared in the New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, TIME, Politico, the Huffington Post, Mic.com, Essence Magazine, and dozens more, including four documentary films including The 13th by Ava DuVernay. Cyril is a Prime Movers fellow and winner of the Electronic Frontier 2016 Pioneers Award, the 2015 Hugh Hefner 1st Amendment Award for framing net neutrality as a civil rights issue, and the 2012 Donald H. McGannon Award for work to advance the roles of women and people of color in the media reform movement.