Paulina Helm-Hernández is a queer femme cha-cha girl, artist, trainer, political organizer & trouble-maker-at-large from Veracrúz, Mexico. This Chicana grew up in rural North Carolina, and is currently growing roots in Atlanta, GA. She has been the Co-Director of Southerners on New Ground (SONG) since 2006, having joined the staff after coordinating the Southern regional youth activism program at the Highlander Research & Education Center for over 4 years.
Paulina has a background in farm worker and immigrant/refugee rights organizing, cultural work, youth organizing, anti-violence work, and liberation work that centers people most affected by violence, poverty, war and racism. Paulina is also a founding member of the national First Nations/Two Spirit Collective, an queer & trans indigenous movement-building cadre, and has served on the boards of YouthAction, Student Action with Farmworkers, The Third Wave Foundation and the DataCenter. She currently sits on the Vision and Strategies Council of Kindred Southern Healing Justice Collective.