Amal Altareb is a member of Facing History and Ourselves’ student leadership group. It was through this experience of leading “Courageous Conversations,” with her peers, that she decided to create a similar experience for the larger community in Memphis. After being accepted into the Bezos Scholars Program, Amal spent her senior year of high school creating “Speak901” which unites Memphians of different backgrounds through sharing their stories of identity and discussing ways to get involved in improving Memphis. Amal, who was born in Oakland CA, grew up in Yemen and when she moved to Memphis in the 7th grade did not speak any English. She graduated valedictorian of Central High School in 2018 and is in her first year at Yale University,  where she is leading efforts to provide humanitarian relief in Yemen.

Amir Tazi is a first-year college student, public speaker and an advocate for racial justice. He has co-organized a series of events aimed at educating students on equity, ending sexual violence and empowering people of color. In high school, Amir participated in the My Brothers Keeper program at Yonkers High School, where he built a passion for creating unity amongst people of color and empowering young men of color to succeed. After graduation, Amir hopes to become a teacher at Yonkers High School and continue his work to educate, inspire, and empower the next generation of leaders.

Dana Rachlin is the Founder and Executive Director of NYC Together, a community organization based in Brooklyn taking a unique approach to interrupting the school to prison pipeline in partnership with the NYPD. Through weekly engagements, officers and youth work together to cultivate interpersonal relationships and take action in the community leveraging the strengths of police officers and students. These efforts have led to increased public safety and improved academic outcomes, with 98% of student members moving on to the next grade and all participating seniors have gone on to graduate high school.

As a Youth Organizer at Safe & Sound, a Milwaukee nonprofit, Daniela is the founder and leader of the “Face to Face” Workshop. The workshop is designed to encourage humanity and civility in the community by facilitating conversation across race and geography. Each Face to Face workshop aims to help participants expand their consciousness and understanding of issues related to segregation and equip citizens to become leaders in the movement for unity and racial justice in neighborhoods in the Milwaukee area.

Dar’tavous Dorsey is a lifelong Chicagoan and former West Region Supervisor at Youth Guidance’s Becoming A Man (BAM) program. Through weekly group sessions and the support of trauma-informed counselors, BAM provides leadership programming and mentorship for over 7,000 young men from under resourced communities in the Chicago area. Dar’tavous served as a mentor to 26 young men and six trained BAM Counselors, who in turn serve hundreds of young men of color in four high schools. Since joining BAM, Dar’tavous has personally mentored more than 500 young men, working to support their social, emotional, and academic development through life skills, college, and career programs. Currently, Dar’tavous works with public school students in Chicago to help them pursue higher education.

LaRon Wade is a youth basketball coach and mentor for young people in Chicago. After losing a brother to gun violence, LaRon became committed to inspiring and guiding youth by serving as a positive male role model. As the Founder of Beyond Athletics Chicago, LaRon works to instill a sense of responsibility, hope and unwavering confidence in young people through community service projects, cultural enrichment outings, life skills workshops, and other initiatives designed to inspire young people and make a positive impact in the community.

Ruby Gonzalez Hernandez is an Oaxacan interdisciplinary artist, born and raised in the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven, CT. Ruby is a passionate advocate for justice and experiments with mediums such as photography, drawing, painting, printmaking, and video to highlight the unique experiences, issues, and challenges facing people of color and to find healing and closure for emotionally difficult events in her life.  A graduate of New Haven Academy High School and Educational Center For The Arts, today Ruby is the co-owner of Lunch Money Print, an online gallery offering inclusive and accessible art. She is also on the board of the Could Be Fund, a grant that provides funds for artists to activate public spaces in New Haven.

Venkayla Haynes is a community organizer, writer, an organizer with Know Your IX, on the Campus Advisory Board for It’s On Us, and a member of the Biden Foundation Advisory Council to End Violence Against Women. Her passion is fighting against gender-based violence in marginalized communities. Due to her own personal experience with sexual violence, Venkayla Haynes has dedicated the rest of her life to helping survivors of sexual violence.