Obianuju Catherine Udeh (DJ Switch)

Primary Academic Program: Human Rights

Biography:

DJ Switch is a Nigerian disk jockey, musician, producer, and human rights advocate who has used her platform to increase public awareness of violence against peaceful protesters, call attention to the Nigerian National Assembly’s corrupt practices, and develop social media content to engage citizens in advocating for human rights and democracy at the grassroots level. As a result of her work, she has faced death threats and calls for her arrest. An accomplished artist, DJ Switch is the winner of several music competitions, including the Red Bull 3Style North/West Africa Regional Championship, Glo X-Factor, and, with her group Da Pulse, Star Quest. She was named Culture Icon of the Year in 2020 by the website YNaija and was featured in Time magazine for her participation in the #End SARS movement in Nigeria. She is also the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for Democracy and participated in a 2021 event, Rebuilding Democratic Momentum, alongside speakers including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; Senators Ben Sasse, Rick Scott, Jeanne Shaheen, and Dan Sullivan; Congresswoman Karen Bass; and AFL-CIO president Elizabeth Schuler.

BS, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. At Bard since 2022.
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