Judith C. Jones Fellowship | Training For Change

Judith C. Jones Fellowship for Trainers of Color

The JCJ Fellowship supports left and social justice leaders of color to build skills around group facilitation, movement education, and powerful training.

About the Fellowship

 

The JCJ Fellowship is for Black, Indigenous, and other trainers of color at any level of experience building the power of left and social justice organizations. Recent Fellowships center on one-on-one coaching with a TFC Core Trainer. Coaches nominate eligible Fellows to apply; if accepted, Fellows receive individualized coaching around the craft of group facilitation, movement education, and training for social justice movement building. Fellows receive additional learning opportunities with Training for Change, including scholarships and travel stipends to public workshops. Full details below.

 

Fellowship at a Glance

Individualized Coaching with a TFC Core Trainer. Regular coaching sessions to track your learning goals, create work plans, and reflect on your practice. Coaches are invested in your skill-building and are you primary contact at TFC over the arc of the Fellowship.

Workshop Scholarships. Full scholarships and travel stipends to any TFC workshop during the Fellowship.

Membership in the TFC Trainer Salon. Automatic acceptance into TFC’s Trainer Salon, where you’ll join other JCJ Fellows and TFC network trainers. Includes group skill-building sessions and peer-to-peer learning among a multiracial group.

 

Eligibility

To be eligible to be nominated, you must…

  • Identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or a person of color. Contact us with any questions around identity and eligibility.
  • Have attended a Training for Social Action Trainers (TSAT) workshop, or a TSAT-equivalent training.
  • Actively practice training or group facilitation in the service of left and social justice movements, organizations, and leaders. Identify a program, workshop, or group facilitation opportunity to focus on during the Fellowship.
  • Commit to the Fellowship for one year, up to 5 hours/month during the program, regular attendance and communication with your Coach, and other program requirements (some requirements TBD)

This Fellowship is NOT a good fit for you, if…

  • You haven’t attended an in-person TFC workshop or built any relationship with TFC Core Trainers.
  • Your training work doesn’t prioritize left and social justice movements, organizations, and leaders.
  • You’re looking primarily for admin or marketing support for your own consulting business.

 

How to Become a Fellow

We currently have no open application process for the JCJ Fellowship. Core Trainers first nominate trainers they would like to coach; nominees are then invited to apply to the Fellowship in association with their nominating Coach.

If you have any questions about the nomination process or Fellowship overall, contact us here.

 

Recent Fellows

Mina Itabashi

Mina Itabashi

Mina is an organizer, trainer, facilitator, and coalition builder. She has been engaged in student, community and labor organizing for the past 10+ years, working on various campaigns including union recognition, efforts for just trade policies, housing justice, and more. Currently, Mina is the Network Engagement Organizer at Jobs With Justice. In addition to organizing and strategizing on campaigns, Mina is passionate about training, supporting leadership development, designing curricula and facilitating spaces to learn from each other.

Tierra Ragland

Tierra Ragland

Tierra has eight years of experience as a community organizer, advocate and trainer. She began her advocacy as a law student working on access to justice issues in North Carolina. Upon becoming an attorney her passion for justice led her to become a faith-based community organizer with Equality North Carolina where she organized affirming clergy to foster and sustain LGBTQ affirming faith spaces. She moved back to her home state of Virginia to serve as the Director of the Virginia Progressive Leadership Project (VAPLP), a leadership development pipeline project of the Virginia Civic Engagement Table (VCET). As Director she continues to expand and design a values-driven leadership development program that recruits, trains and uplifts diverse leaders across the Commonwealth. In addition to directing the leadership development she also serves as the Deputy Executive Director of the Virginia Civic Engagement Table (VCET). VCET is committed to building progressive power in Virginia that prioritizes economic, social, environmental, gender, and especially racial justice. Tierra has conducted numerous trainings and workshops for activists, attorneys and nonprofit organizations. She currently lives in Richmond VA.

Shanequa Smith

Shanequa Smith

Dr. Shanequa Smith’s life illustrates how knowledge, opportunity, and faith can supersede the effects of systematic oppressions and generational traumas. Growing up in Harlem, New York City, at the height of the crack epidemic, Shanequa has lived and witnessed how limited exposure to opportunities can often create a cycle of frustration and continued poverty. To break this cycle, in 2002 Shanequa moved to Charleston, WV, with the hopes of raising her children in a more positive environment.

Today, Dr. Shanequa Smith is a Restorative Practitioner with a focus on assisting in the process of healing the well-being of individuals who have been systematically oppressed. Her work focuses on engaging with individuals, families, communities, and institutions to acknowledge, address, and dismantle systematic oppressions through the bridging of relationships and synergizing collaborative opportunities.

Fellowship Alumni

2014-2015

Arianna Gennis
Kim Huynh
Sharmeen Khan (’15)
Gio Lopez (’15)
Omi Masika (’15)

2016

Ileia Burgos
Jeannine Cook
Sharmeen Khan
Gio Lopez
Omi Masika

2017-2018

Cleopatra Acquaye-Reynolds
Naomi Doerner (’17)
Nicole Ektnitphong
Nico Fonseca
Rachel Gilmer
Ashley “AG” Green
Heidi Lopez
Nikki Shaffeeullah

2019-2020

Rashad Buni
Kade Cahe
Tanya Ferguson
Cicia Lee
Samantha Master

2021-2022

Mina Itabashi
Tierra Ragland
Shanequa Smith
Lawrielle West (’21)

Judith C. Jones

Judith C. Jones

This Fellowship is named in honor of TFC Training Elder Judith C. Jones, Ph.D. Also known as “Diva Bear,” Judith worked with Training for Change for over a decade and for years was lead trainer in TFC’s Training for Social Action Trainers and Advanced Training of Trainer workshops. Judith grew up in Philadelphia, received her doctorate in Political Science from Atlanta University, and has taught at Penn State University and at Philadelphia University. Judith is also co-author of “Two Voices from the Front Line: A Conversation about Race in the Classroom,” included in the award winning anthology “Race in the College Classroom,” published by Rutgers University Press. She has led diversity and conflict workshops for a diverse client base and has served as a guide and role model to many TFC Trainers.

This Fellowship was named in honor of Training for Change elder, Judith C. Jones, Ph.D, a.k.a “Diva Bear,” by program founder, Nico Amador. Judith trained with TFC for over a decade, where she led the Training for Social Action Trainers (TSAT) and Advanced Training of Trainer (ADTOT) workshops, facilitated diversity and conflict workshops, and mentored many of our Core Trainers. Judith grew up and currently lives in Philadelphia. She received her doctorate in Political Science from Atlanta University, and is co-author of “Two Voices from the Front Line: A Conversation about Race in the Classroom,” included in the award winning anthology “Race in the College Classroom,” published by Rutgers University Press.