Yuri Kochiyama spent over six decades of her life dedicated to community organizing, activism, and creating a more just and equitable society. She was committed to being a lifelong learner and later in life attended both the Freedom School, a series of Harlem-based, small group sessions designed to encourage freedom of the mental, emotional, and social dispositions, and Malcolm X’s Organization of Afro-American Unity school in Harlem.

As a lifelong learner, Kochiyama applied her learning by becoming more involved in civil rights advocacy. She was dedicated to bringing awareness and advocating for the release of political prisoners in the United States’ prison-industrial complex. She would correspond via letters with political prisoners from all over the world and most notably formed a connection with Mumia Abu-Jamal; a former Black Panther and journalist who was accused of killing a police officer.

Throughout her life, Kochiyama prioritized engaging with youth, encouraging them to engage and create their own political awakenings, always with an emphasis on coalition building. During her career, she spoke at over 100 high schools and colleges in at least 15 states and Canada, including Harvard, Radcliffe, Yale, Princeton, Spelman, Temple, UMass Amherst, New York University, UC Berkeley, and San Francisco State University. Yuri also visited the opening of the Yuri Kochiyama Multicultural Lounge at the University of Michigan on February 3, 1997; during her visit to campus, she met with student leaders and answered their questions about activism and multiculturalism.