Hello!

Hi, my name is Ella Grace Downs, or EG (she/they). I am a social work graduate student at Silberman School of Social Work where I focus on community organizing and social work in sex education, support for survivors of sexual assault, and sex work. I have applied a lot of the theories behind those subjects to this work – drug education, support for survivors of substance abuse, and the intersection of the drug trade.

My positionality as a white, cisgender woman from a middle class background has given me the privilege to navigate the world of drugs without fear of police or incarceration, free from the heavy burdens of shame and stigma, and resources to utilize when needed. I hope that this work can afford those privileges to all people, but especially to BIPOC and the queer community who have been demonized for drug use.

I dedicate this work to the loved ones I have lost to substance abuse. If they were here I would want to tell them they are supported, loved, and understood.