Aretha is the Political Director of Puget Sound Sage and Sage Leaders. Prior to joining Sage, Aretha spent the last five years as a legislative aide for Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda focusing on issues related to policing, the criminal legal system, labor, arts, technology, and the city budget. Most recently Aretha led Councilmember Mosqueda’s offices work on divestment from the Seattle Police budget and investment in a $30 million city-wide participatory budgeting process.
Aretha began organizing at the age of eighteen following the murder of Michael Brown and has spent the last nine years in grassroots organizing with coalitions like No New Youth Jail, Block the Bunker, and Decriminalize Seattle.