Terrance Brown Jr., a Leaders of Color alum in Washington D.C., shares his motivation and drive to bring people together to solve systemic challenges in education and beyond.

At the mid-way point of 2024, we are taking stock of the incredible progress our alumni have made across our sites in education policy, political and civic leadership, and community engagement. 

Driven by the challenges she experienced in her daughter’s school search and the deep desire to help children in her neighborhood succeed, Leaders of Color alum Natasha Cherry-Perez works to improve education outcomes for all of New York's children.

Today, Leaders of Color announced that Mike Bland will step down from his role as Vice President of Leaders of Color. Mike will continue to serve the program in an advisory capacity. Amber Davis-Prince, who currently serves as the Deputy Director of Program Operations, will lead the Leaders of Color program following Mike’s departure. 

Through innovative teacher training programs, Dr. Akbar is building a pipeline of teachers who have a deep commitment to practicing equitable teaching practices for New Orleans students, who are predominantly Black. Dr. Akbar’s work aims to address the national teacher shortage and the departure of educators in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

Leaders of Color alum Jason Sharif founded RESPECT the Haven CDC to serve the Whitehaven community in Memphis and remove those barriers to success. 

To help set students up for success, Leaders of Color 2023 alum Letisha Vinson is working to establish a comprehensive wellness program for students in Washington, D.C.