Daphne Frias
Freelance organizer
If you ask Daphne Frias to describe herself, she’ll tell you she is a disabled organizer and storyteller. The 25-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, is a passionate activist who has organized across issues: climate change, voting rights, gun control, accessibility. Frias entered the world of advocacy in 2019, when she was appointed the New York state director of March for Our Lives, which began as a student-led demonstration in support of gun-control legislation. After a year, she decided to work on a mix of issues as a public speaker—at universities, summits and conferences—and as a consultant. More recently she worked with the Museum of Natural History in London on planning a week of events in 2022 focused on engaging younger generations on the climate crisis. Currently, she’s working on advancing Box the Ballot, a nonprofit she founded in 2018 that strives to help young people navigate the absentee ballot process.
DOSSIER
AGE 25
RESIDES West Harlem
FUN FACTS During the pandemic, Frias experimented with digital drawing on her iPad as a creative outlet and now runs an online shop where she sells the seasonal and travel-related stickers she designs. She also enjoys cooking and baking with her mother and siblings in her spare time. One of her favorite dishes to make is her sister’s mango pineapple cheesecake pie.
ADVICE For budding advocates, Frias recommends Googling your ZIP code, identifying your elected officials and sending a letter introducing yourself. "You might think, ‘That's so silly. Why would I do that?’ " Frias said. But “it's starting that conversation, letting someone know that you're part of the community they represent, and that will go a long way."
Your activism spans a range of issues. How do you describe the work you do?
I really think the thing that ties it all together is being a champion of public health at the intersection of advocacy. If we think about the climate crisis, it is one of our original public health crises. When we talk about gun laws, it’s clearly a public health issue. Our lived environment really impacts our physical health.
What inspired you to create Box the Ballot?
For me, it was like, what is the one way I can effect change in all these areas that are important? Being a minority in many facets of my identity, I understand how the electoral process has not always been a safe space for the multiple identities I occupy. So my goal with Box the Ballot as a whole is to try to improve advocacy around engagement and then really target these communities that have not felt safe in electoral politics and help them realize that we can be a powerful force in the direction of our country if we utilize this system of civic engagement.
What’s your advice to someone who wants to get involved in advocacy?
I always say that change starts with communication. It’s really that: starting with conversation and finding the community of people that believe the same things that you believe. I’ve actually set up Google search flags for topics that I'm interested in. So I have one for “environmental justice” and “climate crisis NYC,” and then I usually read through those articles and find any interesting organizations or new events that might be going on that I can support or poke my head into. And it's a really good way to keep track.
Where do you see the role of grassroots organizing headed?
I see grassroots organizers as the liaisons between what our politicians do and accomplish and what the community needs. The more that grassroots organizing proliferates, we can make sure that the stories of the people most affected by the most crucial issues really get out there.