Bio
Nikkita Oliver (they/them) is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Indiana, leading the organization's statewide efforts to protect civil rights and civil liberties through litigation, advocacy, organizing, and public education. With a diverse background encompassing law, education, and community organizing, Nikkita’s work is rooted at the intersections of legal advocacy, shaping culture, and community power-building.
Across their career, Nikkita has provided over a decade of executive leadership and organizational strategy to mission-driven initiatives. Before joining the ACLU of Indiana, they founded Heartworks Arts Collective to partner with mission driven nonprofits navigating profound growth, grounded in the belief that systemic change requires rigorous operational foundations. Their extensive executive experience also includes serving as Associate Executive Director of Programs & Strategy at the Detroit Justice Center, Research, Education, and Training Director at Law for Black Lives, Lawyer-In-Residence with the Movement Law Lab, and as the co-founder and Executive Director of Creative Justice, an arts-based restorative justice space supporting youth and families impacted by carceral systems.
A dedicated educator, organizer, and advocate, Nikkita is committed to training the next generation of civil rights leaders. From 2021 to 2026, they served as an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law, teaching a foundational course on police and prison abolition and restorative justice. During their tenure, while acting as a full-time visiting professor, they founded the Transforming Public Safety Clinic in 2025 to support law students in developing practical, on-the-ground advocacy skills.
Beyond their legal and executive roles, Nikkita is a recognized public speaker, writer, educator, and grassroots organizer committed to housing justice, public safety transformation, and human rights. Their insights have been featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Breakfast Club, with published work appearing in the South Seattle Emerald and YES! Magazine. Their impactful advocacy has been recognized with honors including the International Jose Sarria Civil Rights Award, QLAW Bar Association President’s Award, the Seattle-King County NAACP President’s Leadership Award, Columbia Legal Services’ Imagine Justice Award, and the Seattle Office of Civil Rights Artist Human Rights Leader Award.