Amber White is the Associate Director of Program at Beyond 12.
“A movement can only stay alive when those involved are deeply and genuinely invested, not involved for optics or social media. With that said, my hopes to be accepted in the Surge Fellowship cohort of 2022 would be much more than a “great opportunity” or a “fun challenge” but an absolute requirement in order to sustain collective freedom and dismantle a White dominant culture. I know that I cannot create this freedom alone and complacency is not an option; I have to actively and genuinely seek out those who are already engaging in freedom dreaming and transforming systems (that start with education, but whose impacts are far-reaching). I am not only looking to lean into my own healing and ancestral wisdom but to be in an environment where all folks can and are encouraged to do so. After working and existing in so many white spaces, being and seeing the Black, Brown and Indigenous experiences be disregarded or their expertise being undervalued I am choosing to be incredibly deliberate about the environment in which I engage and I am certain that the Surge Fellowship is one where I can both be of service to Black, Brown and Indigenous leaders and be propelled forward by our liberation and resilience together.”