https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/newsroom/open-society-foundations...
The nine fellows, the fifth cohort named since the fellowship program’s launch in 2017, come from all over the country, and will develop new ways of tackling the challenges rising from care work, immigration policies, and racial disparity. Among the projects they will be working on: a documentary film exploring the historical context of the caregiving crisis in the United States, trainings around environmental justice efforts led by women of color, a think tank to support Black women-led policy analysis, and books and written materials tackling the systemic causes of immigration and racial discrimination. The program will provide leadership development training, networking, and other professional support for the fellows aimed at creating new ideas in the racial and social justice movement.
“We are living in a time of enormous economic and racial challenges and this work has never seemed more urgent,” said Andrew Maisel, program officer at Open Society-U.S. “The expertise and creativity of the incoming Soros Equality Fellows is what we need to rebuild a fair and inclusive society, and will put us on the path toward a brighter future.”
The 2021 Soros Equality Fellows will each receive stipends of $143,000 over the course of 18 months. A new cycle for fellows will be opening on November 30.
The 2021 Soros Equality Fellows:
Sahar Aziz seeks to support a diverse set of academics and advocates working to better understand and combat racialized national security narratives that disproportionately impact communities of color.
Ana Paula Barreto will develop The Black Women in the Americas think tank to support Black women-led policy analysis and leadership development in the United States and Brazil.
Loira Limbal will direct a feature length documentary, Sacrificial Care, that will explore the historical reasons why care work is so undervalued in the United States, from slavery to the present day.
Glenn Magpantay will create a curriculum and manuscript surveying the history of queer Asian organizing over the past 20 years to build a sustainable and robust queer Asian movement for racial justice.
Cristina Jiménez Moreta will produce a book intended to be an intervention in the narrative about the current immigration system, while calling for audiences to confront the history of white supremacy and systematic racism that has shaped it.
Zachary Norris will write a book and other written materials examining and offering solutions to the root causes and impact of family separation within communities of color.
Tamara Toles O’Laughlin seeks to support the long-term sustainability of environmental efforts by investing in succession strategies for people of color through leadership development, mentorship, and narrative interventions.
Octaviana Trujillo will create a publicly accessible toolkit for Native American and Indigenous Peoples to protect and maintain access to sacred sites at the U.S.–Mexico border.
Kyshun A. Webster seeks to develop a market-based solution to the caregiving crisis, ensuring low-wage workers their existing salaries when taking time off for emergency caregiving.
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