Josephine O’Brien is a policy organizer and culture writer based in New York City. She focuses on gender policy and the intersection of media and politics.
I’m currently on a gap year and afterwards I’ll be pursuing a dual BA between Columbia University and Sciences Po Paris. At Columbia, I’ll be majoring in Creative Writing on the non-fiction track and American Studies; at Sciences Po, I’ll be studying Politics and Government. My writing ranges from opinion pieces to cultural commentary to personal essays, and I’m particularly interested in the cycle of pop culture reflecting and influencing political thought — you can check out my newsletter, cultural pessimism, here. As a policy organizer with Know Your IX, I develop recommendations for federal sexual violence and Title IX policy. And in the world of electoral politics, I’ve spent the past couple of years working in political organizing, where I’ve focused on mobilizing and engaging communities for progressive campaigns. In my future, I hope to combine my interests in journalism and law and am interested in pursuing a career in public policy.