The Rebel Educationist
Harm Reduction | Health & Wellness | Drug Policy | PWUD Advocacy
Phoenix AKA Mohawk “The Rebel Educationist” (they/them) is a black, trans intersectional harm reduction educator & advocate for people who use drugs (PWUD) that provides in-person services, supplies, and online education and resources centering marginalized and vulnerable communities disproportionately impacted by The Drug War™.
They are a harm reduction manager and service provider with a strong background in program management, community organization and education with over 10 years experience. They have been involved in harm reduction and drug policy reform activism and advocacy in a multitude of local and global settings, using their background in technology alongside academic and lived experience in pragmatically advancing activism and outreach for PWUD and the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ community. They are skilled with technology, writing, and education and participate in other reform advocacy, activism, and mutual aid.
Globetrotting Intersectional Harmreduction Vigilante,
Educator, & Advocate for People Who Use Drugs
Background.
I’m Phoenix or Mohawk (they/he), and I’m a tenacious, globe-trotting harm reduction advocate known as the Rebel Educationist.
I learned about harm reduction as a concept fairly early on through organizations like ACT UP NY and DrugsData.org (formerly EcstasyData.org). After a number of traumatic drug-related experiences, I began asking, “When is someone going to do something about all of these overdoses in my community?” In 2012, I realized it was time to become that person myself.
Now, over twelve years later, I am a harm reduction educator and advocate for People Who Use Drugs (PWUD). I provide educational resources as well as in-person and remote services tailored to each situation, individual, and community I work with. I also analyze emerging drug trends and tracking that may be harmful or lethal so that I can offer preventative health interventions and education.
In 2023, I formally found Rebel Harm Reduction (incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2024), an organization that offers peer-led popular education, socio-political advocacy, and community outreach to reduce overdose and other harms related to drug use.
Areas of Focus.
Drugs and Harm Reduction Principles
Chemsex
Managing Drug Use At Events
Drug Policy Reform
Youth Drug Use
Benefit Maximization
Past and present professional involvements include, but is not limited to, work with: NEXT Distro, Youth RISE, South African Network for People Who Use Drugs, New York DanceSafe, DanceSafe, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Drug Policy Alliance, National Harm Reduction Coalition, and NYC DOHMH-BADUPCT's Community Advisory Board
Research Consultant
Leverage harm reduction expertise to provide data, analyses, and community insights to influence program design and implementation, policy, and more to ensure drug users are safe and supported.
Drug Checking Technician
Provide on-site and on-demand drug checking for organizations, events, and individuals utilizing FTIR Spectroscopy, Colorimetric Reagents, and Immunoassay Test Strips.
Service Coordinator
Coordinate and staff harm reduction teams for events; medical team assistance; distributing educational and harm reduction resources/supplies
Harm Reduction/Peer Educator
Share & amplify information about drugs, safer use, and more through workshops, guest lectures, digital communications, and educational literature. Available for keynote speaking and expert panel discussions.
Technology Specialist
Offer support and services for designing and maintaining systems for software, hardware, databases, web resources, networks, and other organizational technological tools.
Peer Support Specialist
Provide on-site or remote/virtual supportive and specialized care for people who use drugs or are in recovery.
Technical Writer/Journalist
Create educational literature and report on information of public importance that converts complex technical information to non-technical resources for lay people.
Staff Training and Resource Distribution
Provide training for staff and volunteers on harm reduction and resources such as naloxone/Narcan use, and help distribute supply to organization, service providers, and community members use and help distribute supply to organization, service providers, and community members
Involvement.
SafeRave NYC
SafeRave NYC is formed by former NY DanceSafe members
Global Psychedelic Society x House of Yes
Presented and demoed FTIR spectrometer at House of Yes for GPS Horizons Decompression event
Alliance for Collaborative Drug Checking (ACDC)
ACDC Summit panelist
Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC)
Performed FTIR spectroscopy on "Kush" and other street drugs in BIssau, Guinea-Bissau and Freetown, Sierra Leone. Performed 100 tests.
Rebel Harm Reduction
Rebel Harm Reduction is registered as a 501(c)(3)
Harm Reduction Ohio x Wicked Clowns Harm Reduction (WCHR)
Performed FTIR Spectroscopy on street drugs in Columbus, OH.
Events I performed outreach at includes but is not limited to:
GPS: Find the Others: A Community Weaving Decompression | Dripping Festival | Gathering of the Juggalos 24 | Sustain Release Year 10 | Wasteland (Amsterdam, NL)
Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines
Keynote speaker at Queering Psychedelics II in San Francisco, CA
ACDC x GRIP x MAPS
Spoke on panels for the ACDC Conference (Online), GRIP - Groupe de Recherche et D’intervention Psychosociale, and MAPS @ Psychedelic Science
Rebel Harm Reduction
Founded the collective Rebel Harm Reduction to expand drug checking and harm reduction services with the spectrometer
South African Network for People Who Use Drugs (SANPUD)
Performed FTIR spectroscopy on street drugs in Cape Town, South Africa. Performed 40 tests.
National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC)
Built A Safer South websites
Drug Policy Alliance: Reform Conference
Performed FTIR drug checking at Reform Conference in Phoenix, AZ
The Heller School - Brandeis University
Attended FTIR Technician training at Brandeis University
Areas/Events I performed outreach at includes but is not limited to:
Wire Festival | Dripping Festival | Gathering of the Juggalos 23 | Sustain Release Year 9
Harm Reduction Conference (NHRC) x Hit Hot Topic Conference
Panelist at the Harm Reduction Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico and the HIT Hot Topic Conference in Liverpool, UK in the fall
The David Prize
Recognized as a David Prize finalist for funding towards harm reduction work. Rewarded Bruker Alpha II FTIR Spectrometer
DanceSafe, Inc.
Designed UI for and developed (programmed) the new DanceSafe website
Release/Talking Drugs (UK)
Started writing for Release Drugs Talking Drugs blog.
Oakland Hyphae
Spoke at National Psychedelic Conference in Washington, DC
The Center for Optimal Living w/ Dr. Carl Hart
Featured panelist
California Harm Reduction Initiative
Facilitated harm reduction workshop
ABC
Featured interview
Areas/Events I performed outreach at includes but is not limited to:
Fourth World
Zendo Project Advisory Committee
Advisory counsel to the Zendo harm reduction handbook/manual
Youth RISE
Registered Youth RISE in the Republic of Estonia
Coalition for Decriminalizing All Drugs
Advisory counsel to a bill proposed by Senator Rivera for decriminalizing all drugs in New York State
Designated Helpers
Joined Designated Helpers (thehelpers.net)
NY DanceSafe
Retired from NY DanceSafe chapter leadership after 8 years of leadership and service
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP)
Joined SSDP staff as Technology Specialist
Psyched Studio
Featured interview in Psyched Studio documentary on psychedelics (MDMA)
Power over Addiction x Naropa Alliance for Psychedelic Studies x Oakland Hyphae/Psilocybin Cup x Philadelphia Inquirer
Keynote speaker/panelist
Nowadays x Discakes/xCakes
Hosted harm reduction education workshops and Narcan trainings with Nowadays, Discakes/xCakes, and more
Horizons: Perspectives on Psychedelics Conference
Conference attendee via scholarship free ticket
Keys to the Kingdom: How the Psychedelic Renaissance Becomes Accessible to Everyone (Podcast) x Sanctuary Podcast x The Almaz Podcast
Interviewed as featured guest
Events NY DanceSafe staffed include but were not limited to:
Sustain Release Festival | Evolutions Festival
Youth RISE
Joined Youth RISE Board of Directors
Psychedelic Seminars x Club Health (Montreal) x Tam Integration x Center for Optimal Living x` Zendo
Panelist for online seminars and workshops
Areas/Events I performed outreach at includes but is not limited to:
Evolutions Festival
Media & Public Speaking.
May 23, 2022 – It is commonly believed among “recreational” users of MDMA that grapefruit juice (or other citrus/acidic beverages) potentiates the effects of, and/or expedites the onset of MDMA. Since there are no studies specifically on the subject matter, I performed a mini meta-analysis on a number of studies that observed drug metabolism with […]
May 9, 2022 – In late February, Vice reported on a study originally published in late December 2021 stating that MDMA use had no “comedown”, claiming to have debunked the “Blue Monday” myth – referring to the delayed and depressed effect on mood and cognition after MDMA consumption. However, as a recreational MDMA user myself, […]
Novermber 16, 2021 – One effective way to practice allyship and anti-racism in the drug policy movement is to intentionally uplift the voices and talents of people of color, and directly support them by booking them on your conference panels, events and through direct monetary contributions to their work. SSDP’s equity team decided to lift […]
May 4, 2021 – How do we define influence in the psychedelics ecosystem?
Dec 20, 2019 – Bula!—which means “life” or “to live”—is the traditional exclamation before drinking kava tea in Fijian culture. The ritual has also been adopted in some kava bars stateside.
Mar 30, 2019 – On March 5, 2019, the FDA approved Spravato (esketamine), an intranasal spray for treatment-resistant depression. The drug is chemically very similar to generic ketamine, which is used around the world as a reliable anaesthetic in both human and veterinary surgery. It is increasingly given off-label in intravenous clinics to treat various […]
Mar 4, 2019 – Most people don’t spend music festivals worrying about how they’ll feel after all the shouting, head-banging, and (if you’re into that sort of thing) drug use is over. That’s something you can worry about on Monday. But while living in the moment can be liberating, it doesn’t feel as liberating when […]
March 10, 2017 – This week, as part of a series called Dancing Vs. the State, THUMP is publishing a collection of stories exploring the relationship between club culture and the law. Episode three of The THUMP Podcast is a special installment about safety at parties and festivals where drugs are present. Emilie is joined […]
August 13, 2018 – I have been waiting to do this interview for years now. Mohawk is a luminary in the NYC underground scene, my boss at New York DanceSafe , a spectacular dancer & a generally all around stupendous person. She’s throwing a party that you need to go to, and I’ll be giving […]
March 26, 2016 – With her signature mohawk and colorful plastic bracelets, Greene looks like many of the festival-goers. Unlike them, she’s not here to play in interactive light domes and listen to Space Jesus and Diplo. As the volunteer head of the New York chapter of DanceSafe — a nonprofit with 14 regional chapters […]
May 12, 2015 – On a recent Saturday night in an undisclosed warehouse in Bushwick, DanceSafe set up a booth and allowed ANIMAL to document its drug screening capabilities. Using five reagents, the tests “can only determine the presence, not the quantity or purity, of a particular substance,” according to the organization. Part of that […]
Feb 17, 2021 – A casual conversation that explores the next decade of drug culture with a multidisciplinary group of harm reductionists, featuring educators, therapists, policy makers, and researchers: What are some changes you’ve already seen in drug policy/drug education/addiction treatment that excite you? Where are the gaps in drug policy/drug education/addiction treatment that you think continue to cause unnecessary harm to people you use drugs? How do you think psychedelic assisted therapies are changing the landscape for drug policy/drug education/addiction treatment? What is your vision for a prohibition-free America?
September 17-21, 2020 – Psilocybin Summit
August 12, 2020 – The current pandemic conditions have set the stage for a unique kind of stress and with reduced methods of seeking psychological support. Some are turning to independent psychedelic use to work through the multi-dimensional challenges and emotions that this time has brought up. Many use psychedelics on their own, with little […]
August 4-7, 2020 – ACDC is a learning community for anyone working on drug checking initiatives or interested in expanding drug checking in their community regardless of the technologies that you are using (GC/MS, LC/MS, FTIR, immunoassay, etc.). This group’s focus is on creating and sustaining community through sharing information, new developments, best practices, policies […]
What is the Future of Psychedelic Policy? November 6-9, 2019 – Reform Conference 2019
October 18, 2019 – Since the dawn of mankind, humans have tried to get high in one way or another. Why? Altered states of consciousness can be profoundly dangerous or dangerously profound. Knowledge makes the difference. We welcome a panel of experts and comedians to discuss how these drugs work!
September 14-15, 2019 – Empyrean: The People of Color Psychedelics Conference: A conference for people of color who are interested in psychedelics, drug policy and larger social justice movements.
Alliance for Collaborative Drug Checking (ACDC) Learning Community Convening & Implementation Summit
August 24-27, 2019
June 30, 2019 – Come and learn about drugs in a taboo-free, nonjudgemental safe space. Say know to drugs!
October 13, 2017 – Reform Conference 2017: How is Harm Reduction Different for Young Black People Who Party?
August 26, 2016 – A discussion about the black, recreational drug user.
April 21, 2016 – Drug Users and Former Drug Sellers Discuss the Next Phase of Drug Policy Reform
We get into a bit of the history of G, the benefits, tips for safer use, and why a total ban in the club scene is not the safest move.
September 9, 2020 – Join this interdisciplinary, intersectional group of consent and safety professionals as they discuss the ingredients needed to support a sexual ethic in the bass music community. The event will start with an overview by the panelists, and then we will invite you to select a topic-driven breakout room to chat about […]
Feb 17, 2021 – A casual conversation that explores the next decade of drug culture with a multidisciplinary group of harm reductionists, featuring educators, therapists, policy makers, and researchers: What are some changes you’ve already seen in drug policy/drug education/addiction treatment that excite you? Where are the gaps in drug policy/drug education/addiction treatment that you think continue to cause unnecessary harm to people you use drugs? How do you think psychedelic assisted therapies are changing the landscape for drug policy/drug education/addiction treatment? What is your vision for a prohibition-free America?
August 12, 2020 – The current pandemic conditions have set the stage for a unique kind of stress and with reduced methods of seeking psychological support. Some are turning to independent psychedelic use to work through the multi-dimensional challenges and emotions that this time has brought up. Many use psychedelics on their own, with little […]
July 4, 2020 – How do we embody decolonization at the individual and collective level? On “Independence Day,” we’ll offer a roadmap via the intersections of Indigenous rights, intergenerational healing, and environmental, migrant, and racial justice. Each utilizing a harm reduction lens, join psychedelic psychotherapist Danielle Herrera, decarceration strategist Paula Kahn, researcher Yarelix Estrada, and […]
June 20, 2020 – First we’ll look at the history to understand how we got to this moment and how we can advocate for policy that repairs the harms of the past, from colonization to the drug war and modern policing. Featuring Camille Barton, Neill Franklin, Mohawk Greene, ∧ moderated by Kwasi Adusei
June 13, 2019 – Many people recognize the power of psychedelics to be transformative experiences. Whether it’s used recreationally for pleasure, performance enhancement—not in the physical sense of giving us enhanced stamina, but in the context of making us feel more attractive and more sociable which can be productive in building healthy relationships that aid […]
May 12, 2015 – On a recent Saturday night in an undisclosed warehouse in Bushwick, DanceSafe set up a booth and allowed ANIMAL to document its drug screening capabilities. Using five reagents, the tests “can only determine the presence, not the quantity or purity, of a particular substance,” according to the organization. Part of that […]
