Academy for Educational Development

Fellows Mai Dang (left) and Tonya Williams (right) attend a New Voices orientation for social justice leaders in New Orleans.

Repairing houses and rebuilding roads are perhaps the most visible efforts underway to help the Gulf Coast recover from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. But that work doesn’t tell the whole story. The region’s social infrastructure was also devastated by the hurricanes.

To address this problem, the newest class in AED’s New Voices National Fellowship program is participating in a Gulf Coast Transformation Initiative, working on such issues as protecting neighborhoods from hazardous development, advocating for the rights of displaced people, and building relationships between the police and the public.

New Voices, inaugurated in 1999, is a national leadership development program that helps nonprofit organizations recruit or retain new talent. It awards salary-support grants to small nonprofits demonstrating a commitment to cultivating and strengthening the leadership potential of creative and diverse “new voices” in the field.

“Nurturing and supporting the next generation of social-justice leaders is the focus of the New Voices program,” said Ken Williams, the project’s director. “Right now, the Gulf Coast is where our fellows can have tremendous impact.”

The 12 fellows were chosen by a national panel of human-rights experts, and will work with local nonprofits for the next two to four years. Most of the fellows are based in New Orleans, but a few are located in communities where large numbers of people who were displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita relocated, such as Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston.

“This is the first time that an entire class of fellows has been placed in one region, and they are already making a difference in the lives of many people without a voice,” said Williams.

Giving Voice to the Voiceless

One fellow, Joe Francios, was instrumental in getting assistance to more than 20 households who were facing eviction or utility disconnection.  He also helped lessen tensions between the New Orleans police force and local groups addressing alleged police brutality at jazz funerals, which are a tradition in the city. Francios brought both parties together for two meetings that resulted in a peaceful solution.

Another fellow, Mai Dang, worked with the Vietnamese community in New Orleans East to campaign against plans to build a toxic waste site in their neighborhood. Dang also organized the first multi-lingual political forum in the city, in which the remarks of City Council At-Large candidates were translated into Spanish and Vietnamese. 

“AED serves a critical role in administering these fellowships by conducting leadership trainings, assuring the fellows have qualified mentors, and fostering dialogues about all forms of diversity,” said Williams. 

To build a network among the fellows, AED brings them together twice a year to exchange ideas, resources, and strategies.

“Since it began, New Voices has established leadership positions for more 130 fellows across the U.S. and has a strong record of supporting the innovative work of people of color and individuals from other marginalized or oppressed communities,” said Williams. “The Ford Foundation’s investment in this program has borne fruit through precedent-setting litigation, policy changes, press coverage for social justice issues, and the creation of grassroots networks.”

For more information contact Ken Williams.