Sophie Sandberg

I'm a gender justice activist, street artist, and founder committed to combating gender-based violence through public art, digital media, and education. At age 19, I created the popular initiative, Catcalls of NYC, which raises awareness about street harassment using colorful chalk art. Now, I co-lead Chalk Back, a global youth-led movement against street harassment. I have a Bachelor of Arts from New York University in Gender and Sexuality Studies.

I started Catcalls of NYC inspired by my own experiences of street harassment growing up in New York. Frustrated by the behavior, I began to solicit anonymous stories of harassment and write verbatim phrases on the streets with chalk to encourage awareness and dialogue. Over the past five years since starting Catcalls of NYC, I have developed a community of solidarity around the world in hopes of changing the culture around gender-based violence.

My goal is to empower young people to combat street harassment using social media and chalk art. I am lucky to be able to do what I love full-time. My favorite activity is speaking with middle school, high school, and university students about street harassment and creative methods of resistance. I also love taking people to chalk with me in New York. When I'm not chalking or on social media, I like to sew and play piano. Self-care and mental health are essential aspects of all activism and I'm passionate about fostering a healthy self-care practice for myself and others.