writing about economic inequality + more
Hi there, I'm Kalena, a freelance writer and researcher living in Pittsburgh. As a journalist, I focus on poverty, inequality, and the wide world of social policy, meaning I write about all sorts of topics related to class, labor, economic policy, and more. I'm also interested in how place connects people and influences their lives, so I also write about culture, history, and travel across Pennsylvania. My work has appeared in The American Prospect, The Progressive, Capital & Main, The New Republic, Mother Jones, Ms. Magazine, The Nation, Smart Cities Dive, In These Times, The Guardian, Bolts, The Week, The Keystone, Quartz, Waging Nonviolence, Newsweek, and more.
Previously, I was a fellow at The American Prospect, an Emerson Fellow with the Congressional Hunger Center, and a public policy master's student at the University of Michigan. I'm originally from a small town in the Deep South, where I grew up writing stories and developing a deep love of tomato mayo sandwiches.
Previously, I was a fellow at The American Prospect, an Emerson Fellow with the Congressional Hunger Center, and a public policy master's student at the University of Michigan. I'm originally from a small town in the Deep South, where I grew up writing stories and developing a deep love of tomato mayo sandwiches.