Janayia Capers

Janayia Capers is the Community Responder Coordinator at the Buffalo Center for Health Equity (BCHE), where she leads the development of the Community Responder Pilot Program. With four years of experience at the intersection of housing and racial justice, Janayia brings a unique perspective as an organizer, sociologist, and respiratory therapist. Her advocacy includes leading tenant campaigns, advancing eviction protections, and fighting for safe and affordable housing.

Janayia is passionate about using her voice and experiences to break generational curses and shed light on the causes and consequences of broken systems. She believes meaningful change begins by understanding the root causes of inequity, listening to residents, and empowering communities to shape their own futures. At BCHE, she works to strengthen partnerships and develop community-centered approaches to crisis response, with the goal of launching the pilot in Buffalo’s 14208 ZIP code.

Her professional superpower is connecting people, resources, and ideas to turn community concerns into meaningful action. Her proudest achievement is being recognized for her advocacy and dedication to creating change earning her the PPG 2025 Raising Advocate Award. The best career advice she lives by is trust in yourself; you are ahead of your time and everyone may not be able to see this vison that you are trying to create.

Outside of work, Janayia enjoys spending time crafting, watching a good movie, and relaxing with her cat. If she could have any superpower, she would choose the ability to eliminate barriers to essential resources so every community could thrive. Her go-to workday fuel is an Strawberry Smoothie, and her ideal weekend includes good food, good company, and time to recharge. If she could take one movie to a deserted island, she would choose the Bee Movie (it never gets old). One thing she is determined to do in her lifetime is have fun and continue to use her voice to create lasting change.

Through both her professional work and personal mission, Janayia hopes to help build healthier, safer, and more equitable communities for future generations.