OKLAHOMA CITY –  The ACLU of Oklahoma announces the hiring of two staff members, increasing the size of the affiliate staff from 4 to 6.

Danielle Williams will serve as the the ACLU of Oklahoma’s External Affairs Coordinator, a new position at the ACLU of Oklahoma that will support the ACLU’s fundraising and communications efforts.

Williams first came to the ACLU in 2012 as an intern in her senior year at the University of Oklahoma. Upon graduating, she joined Planned Parenthood to advocate for quality women’s healthcare and sexuality education through outreach and fundraising. She spent time working in a number of 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 nonprofit organizations before returning to the ACLU this year.

“I have so much admiration for the ACLU of Oklahoma and all they’ve accomplished,” Williams said. “They play such an important role in protecting Oklahomans from efforts to undermine our freedoms. I’m really honored to be a part of this organization.”

Williams holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma's Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. She also serves on the board of directors of the Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice. There she coordinates volunteers to lobby for legislation that supports sexual health care, education and reproductive freedoms. She lives in Oklahoma City.

Candace Liger joins the ACLU of Oklahoma as a Community Organizer, whose focus will be building a volunteer base and engaging the ACLU membership.

In her previous experience as an organizer, she has focused on networking organizational leadership and encouraging intersectional strategies to challenge oppressive systems in marginalized communities. Her key areas include racial justice, art & healing justice, violence against women, equality for LGBTQ Oklahomans, and criminal justice reform.

Candace is a nationally renowned spoken word artist and performer using art as a medium to mobilize, educate, and heal. Since 2010, she has has also been an advocate for health and wellness serving as a personal trainer and wellness coach.

She is the founder of Abstract Ebon Collective art justice initiative and serves on the Executive Advisory Board for the National Organization of Women OKC and the Urban League Peak Advisory Committee.