Janaya Future Khan
Biography
Born in Toronto in 1987 to a Trinidadian father and British Jamaican mother, Khan studied at York University before becoming involved in racial-justice organizing. In 2014, Khan and Sandy Hudson co-founded Black Lives Matter–Toronto following protests against police violence. Khan later served as an international ambassador for the broader Black Lives Matter movement.
Khan's work has included racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, gender justice, community organizing, writing, and public education. They have served as executive director of Gender Justice LA, a Los Angeles-based organization focused on transgender rights and gender justice. Khan has also written and edited for publications including TIME and Dazed.
In 2020, Khan created Sunday Sermons, a series of Instagram broadcasts addressing Black liberation, protest, spirituality, identity, and social change. Their work combines organizing, storytelling, education, and advocacy and has been described through an Afrofuturist lens.
BQW Impact
Khan's work centers the experiences and leadership of Black queer and gender-nonconforming people within contemporary social-justice movements. Their organizing connects racial justice, queer liberation, gender justice, and community power.
As a co-founder of Black Lives Matter–Toronto and an international ambassador for Black Lives Matter, Khan helped extend the movement's reach beyond the United States. Their writing, public speaking, and Sunday Sermons demonstrate how storytelling and cultural work can support organizing and collective liberation.
Notable Works
Black Lives Matter–Toronto (2014)
Khan co-founded the Toronto chapter following protests against police violence and later served as an international ambassador for the broader Black Lives Matter movement.
Gender Justice LA
Khan served as executive director of the Los Angeles-based organization focused on transgender rights and gender justice.
Sunday Sermons (2020)
A series of long-form Instagram broadcasts addressing Black liberation, protest, spirituality, identity, and social transformation.
Dazed: Read Up Act Up (2020)
Khan guest-edited part of Dazed's Fall 2020 issue, contributing writing and perspectives on movement-building, poetry, and resistance.
Learn More
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Institutional biography documenting Khan's identity, background, and organizing history.
Khan's guest-editing work and Sunday Sermons.
Khan's published writing and commentary.
Verified Instagram account.