Committed to fighting systemic racism, inequality and injustice, Nile Rodgers' We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) is honored to announce the 2021 Youth To The Front Fund “Frontliners”, representing 10 states in the USA and 9 countries on 5 continents.
WAFF created the Youth To The Front Fund (YTTFF) to support and fund under 30-year-old BIPOC-centered youth activists, youth-led organizations, projects, innovations and creative solutions that are at the forefront of fighting systemic racism, inequality and injustice. Initially funded by the WAFF Board of Directors, Walton Family Foundation and SAP joined YTTFF to support the Frontliners’ efforts in the USA and around the globe.
Carefully selected and curated from hundreds of applicants, the 2021 Frontliners, aged 16 – 29 years-old, are fighting racial and systemic injustice by addressing gaps in: immigration laws and policy advocacy; storytelling through digital media content and production; de-biasing technology; campaigning for gender equity, and building indigenous language, culture and education awareness. Using their creativity, brilliance and infusing arts and social justice into their overall project design and implementation, these Frontliners are collectively reimagining new possibilities and finding solutions that positively impact and shape future generations.
“As a 16-year-old former Black Panther, activism to fight racism, inequality and injustice is in my blood. The Youth To The Front Fund Frontliners are very close to my heart and give me great hope that this generation of activists will continue to create necessary change, locally and globally, to truly become an equal society. Welcome to the family, Frontliners!” – Nile Rodgers, Chairman & Co-founder, WAFF
“Only 9% of the world’s leading young social entrepreneurs are able to compensate themselves for the work they are doing to improve people’s lives. With limited access to funding and investment, it is important to ensure innovators like the Frontliners have access to unrestricted funding and the support of a strong multi-sector ecosystem, to accelerate their global impact. The Youth To The Front Fund is a leading example of eliminating these barriers. We’re proud to support this program and the Frontliners who are fighting systemic racism and injustices globally every day.” – Alexandra van der Ploeg, Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, SAP
The 2021 Youth To The Front Fund Frontliners are: Adia Ivey (24, USA); Anya Shukla (18, USA); Crystal Aneke (22, USA); Dillon Bernard (21, USA); Eduardo Esquivel (26, USA); Elly Savatia (20, Kenya); Farai Mubaiwa (26, South Africa); Grace Williams (24, Australia); Jimcale Faarah (21, Somalia); Kaitlyn Tran (17, USA); Laura Jenny (22, USA); Nana Chinara (24, USA); Nicole (Wei-Tung) Ling (17, Taiwan); Nicole Li (20, USA); Oscar Adrian Gómez Avella (29, Colombia); Perseida Tenorio (28, Mexico); Scott Tilton (29, USA); Sneha Revanur (16, USA); Yasmin Morais (21, Brazil).
Applications for Youth To The Front Fund will open in Fall 2021.
