Join us for a gallery talk with Yuleiny Escobar. Yuleiny was born in Queens, New York, to Mexican immigrant parents in the 1990s. She moved between the U.S. and Mexico during her childhood, eventually earning a degree in education from Hippocrates University in Acapulco. In 2014, she returned to the U.S. and worked at two law firms in Shelby County while actively engaging in community organizing.
In 2018, inspired by the Books and Breakfast event in North Memphis, modeled after the Black Panther Party's Free Breakfast for Children Program, Yuleiny launched a similar initiative for the Latinx community with the support of CUUV and Centro Cultural de Memphis. This monthly event called “Desayuno con Libros," provides families with a freshly cooked, hearty breakfast—complete with fruit, juice, and coffee—while they enjoy stories in Spanish. Families are encouraged to take books home, fostering empowerment among immigrant families and a deep love for their roots and cultures.
Yuleiny is currently the lead community organizer at the Shelby County Voter Alliance (SCVA), working to increase voter access and turnout. She is also a passionate advocate for Indigenous rights as well as children’s rights. Yuleiny is the proud mother of a healthy young boy.