Cyan Blackwell Joined CLC in November, 2023. Prior to joining CLC, Cyan worked as a policy strategist for the ACLU of Ohio where she worked with coalition partners and community stakeholders to advance the ACLU’s policy agenda with a particular focus on the juvenile justice system in Ohio. Before joining the ACLU of Ohio, Cyan completed a two-year Justice Fellowship at the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. As a Fellow at EJI, Cyan supported community members across the country in confronting local histories of racial terror violence and fostered meaningful dialogue about race and justice through research and public education initiatives. She also worked directly with clients through legal investigations and reentry support services.

Cyan earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Management, Leadership, and Policy with a sociology double major from The Ohio State University in 2020. During her undergraduate career, Cyan became engaged in youth justice initiatives as she served as a peer mentor in an Ohio juvenile correctional facility and worked with clients and their families at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Public Defender’s Office.