Malkia Devich-Cyril

Malkia Devich-Cyril is an activist, writer and public speaker on issues of digital rights, narrative power, Black liberation and collective grief. Devich-Cyril is also the founding and former Executive Director of MediaJustice — a national hub boldly advancing racial justice, rights and dignity in a digital age. After more than 10 years of organizational leadership, Devich-Cyril now serves as a Senior Fellow at Media Justice and is a contributing writer to various publications including The Atlantic, Wired Magazine, TechCrunch, The Washington Post, Truthout and We Will Not Cancel Us — a book by adrienne maree brown, among others.

In 2002, Malkia Devich Cyril helped coin the term “Media Justice”, and in 2019 declared that one significant goal of the Media Justice movement was to “fight for a future where we are all connected, represented and free.” 

For more than 20 years, Devich-Cyril has championed the media and technology rights of communities of color and other under-represented groups to demand and win equity in a digital age. Devich-Cyril remains a veteran leader in the movement for digital rights and freedom, and in the movement for Black lives.

Devich-Cyril is regularly a featured speaker on issues of media, technology, and race, and has appeared in publications like Politico, Motherboard, Essence Magazine, and three documentary films including the Oscar nominated 13TH, directed by Ava DuVernay. Devich-Cyril is a recipient of the 2012 Donald H. McGannon Award for work to advance the roles of women and people of color in the media reform movement, a 2013 Prime Movers fellow, winner of the 2015 Hugh Hefner 1st Amendment Award for framing net neutrality as a civil rights issue, winner of the 2016 Electronic Frontier Pioneer award, a YBCA 100 honoree, a 2017 Root 100 honoree, and a 2020 Good Morning America Black Inspiration honoree. 

As the newly widowed spouse of comedian and editor Alana Devich-Cyril, who died following an intense two year battle with advanced cancer, Malkia Devich-Cyril now works to transform the public narrative on grief and equity in America.