PERSON: Olayemi Olurin

Lawyer

Olayemi Olurin is a movement lawyer, political commentator, writer, and abolitionist thinker. Olurin is Bahamian Nigerian, and was born and raised in Nassau, The Bahamas, where she lived until she moved to America in 2008. She received her JD from St. John’s University School of Law and her BA from Ohio University where she studied Political Science, African American Studies; and Law, Justice & Culture. As a public defender, Olurin represented people who cannot afford representation, who unfortunately and uncoincidentally, make up the vast majority of the people churned through the criminal system. Olurin educates people about systemic racism, abolition, and why we should divest from the prison industrial complex. She’s a prominent voice in the movement to decarcerate and close Rikers, an infamous pre-trial detention center in NYC where people unfortunately die awaiting trial each year. She’s been published in Teen Vogue, Essence Magazine, The Grio, NewsOne, and appeared on many media outlets like The Breakfast Club, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Hill, NBC, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, iHeartRadio, NPR, Yahoo News, VOA News, Brut Media, BNC, The Real News Network, The Law & Crime Network, and more. She releases essays monthly on olurinatti, where she critically analyzes different issues of our time. She Hosts Olurinatti The Show, where she releases full-length documentary style videos exploring issues seriously, as well as her Iconic Interview Series, and her podcast Olay & Friends, which is also available on Spotify.

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