Adaku Utah

Adaku Utah
Born1983 or 1984 (age 42–43)
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
CitizenshipNigeria, United States
OccupationsHealer, artist, activist
Known forHealing justice, social change, Harriet's Apothecary
AwardsJessica Eve Patt Award (2012)
Websiteadakuutah.com

Adaku Utah (// ⓘ) is a Nigerian-American Igbo traditional healer, speaker, writer, and artist. Her work centers on gender, reproductive justice, racial equity, youth empowerment, and healing justice movements for social change. She is the cofounder of Harriet's Apothecary, an alternative healing collective led by Black women and queer healers.

Early life and education

Utah was born in Baltimore, Maryland, US but was raised in Festac Town, Lagos, Nigeria. Her father is from Abia State and her mother from Imo State. She descends from a lineage of herbalists and farmers who practiced traditional healing. As a child, she experienced chronic illness and found greater relief through herbal medicine than conventional treatments. Utah earned a BSc in Biotechnology and Psychology from Pennsylvania State University.

Career

Utah is the Senior Manager of Movement Building Programs at the Building Movement Project, where she supports national convenings and leadership development for social justice organizations. She has worked with groups including the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, Black Lives Matter, Black LGBTQI+ Migrant Project, The Movement for Black Lives, Yale University, Planned Parenthood, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, Black Women's Blueprint, and the Audre Lorde Project.

She is also a host and contributor to the Anti-Eugenics Project, which explores the legacy of eugenics and its impact on marginalized communities.

As a performance artist, Utah has collaborated with Decadancetheatre, and founded Soular Bliss, a creative wellness initiative. Utah is queer and resides in Brooklyn, New York.

She contributed to the anthology Healing Justice Lineages: Dreaming at the Crossroads of Liberation, Collective Care, and Safety, edited by Cara Page and Erica Woodland, alongside Prentis Hemphill.

Recognition

Utah has been recognised for her contributions with several awards:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Barber, Lauren (26 July 2017). "Harriet's Squad: Black Women Using Ancient Healing Methods as Resistance". ELLE. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Adaku Utah – Keynote Bio". YWCA Madison Racial Justice Summit. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  3. ↑ "Sexuality Leadership Development Fellowship". www.arsrc.org. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "Host: Adaku Utah". Anti-Eugenics Project. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  5. ↑ Boynton, Andrew. "A Dance Like Keith Haring Come to Life". The New Yorker. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "Adaku Utah". The Gemini Series. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  7. ↑ "Adaku Utah". A Blade of Grass. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  8. ↑ Page, Cara; Woodland, Erica, eds. (2023). Healing Justice Lineages: Dreaming at the Crossroads of Liberation, Collective Care, and Safety. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books. Retrieved 20 October 2025.