Liliana Macias
Graduate Student
Pronouns: She/They
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About
Liliana Macias is an educator, cultural worker, and PhD student.
As a PhD student her focus is the cultivation and documentation of Chicago's queer Latine/x cultural histories. Her cultivation practice is rooted in an abolitionist approach to preservation that challenges power structures and reimagines the powerful potential of communities telling and preserving their own histories.
As an educator she has formal teaching experience in both higher education and K-12, curriculum development, and professional development for educators. She previously held a lecture position at Northeastern Illinois University in the Sociology and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality studies department.
As a cultural worker, she has developed and managed education initiatives for museums and cultural centers, advised and led exhibition curation, and developed public engagement programs. She also provides contract work to support local cultural institutions and events through strategic planning and community centered program development models. Some of her most recent work includes the development and moderation of public programs for the Pilsen Latina Legacies project part of the Chicago Monuments Project. She is also a committee member of the advisory committee for the Cultural Heritage and Historic Markers Program through the department of cultural affairs for the city of Chicago which will build on the work of previous City initiatives such as the Chicago Monuments Project, Black Chicago Heritage Initiative, and Chicago Tribute Markers.
In January 2024, Liliana co-founded Raices Chicago Story Coalition, a non-profit that collaborates with Latine/x organizations and communities of Chicago to cultivate the visibility and accessibility of these stories.
Education
Liliana obtained her bachelor of arts in Latino and Latin American studies with a minor in Women, Gender and Sexuality studies from Northeastern Illinois University, as well as a Master’s in Latino and Latin American Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago.