Bio

Hilary Klein

“Hilary Klein is one of the most engaging presenters I have ever encountered. Her in-depth knowledge of the autonomous world of the Zapatistas is matched only by her passion and skill as a public speaker.”

—Andrej Grubacic, Director of the Anthropology and Social Change Program, California Institute of Integral Studies

HILARY KLEIN spent six years in Chiapas, Mexico, working with women’s projects in Zapatista communities. After she compiled a book of Zapatista women’s testimony to be circulated in their own villages, women in the Zapatista leadership suggested that Hilary compile a similar book for an outside audience.

Hilary has been engaged in social justice and community organizing for twenty years. After spending five years at Make the Road New York, a membership organization that builds the power of immigrant and working-class communities, she joined the Center for Popular Democracy in May 2015. She is originally from Washington, DC, and received her BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley.

“Hilary was a guest lecturer in my class about social movements and taught a unit about the Zapatista movement. The teaching she did that year was some of the best and most memorable I’ve ever seen, and has informed my research and teaching ever since.”
—Nicole F. Watts, Professor and Graduate Coordinator, Department of Political Science, San Francisco State University

“I have seen Hilary speak a number of times about the Zapatista movement, and she is a marvelous speaker. Her talks are informative and thought-provoking, and she really brings the topic alive for her audiences.”
—MaryAnn Tenuto, Chiapas Support Committee