About the Summit
Service Never Sleeps’ (SNS) annual Allyship Summit brings together racial and social justice advocates from across the country to create a national community of allies working tirelessly towards racial and social justice. Throughout two days of programming, Summit attendees deepen their understanding of our Allyship principles, engage in trainings on how to effect social change, and connect with local and national leaders committed to social justice.
Allyship Summit
2022
The encouragement to reject cynicism and practice hope was one that I deeply needed. The panelists and presenters have given me so much to be hopeful about, and put more tools in my toolbox.
Our 2022 Allyship Summit theme was ‘What Does it Mean to Be Black-Led?’ and engaged a community of learners and changemakers who are eager to equip themselves with tools to support Black-led organizations.
Th 2022 Summit focused on Black leadership and included tools from SNS’ signature Allyship presentation, issue-based trainings led by Black leaders, and a presentation on learnings from a SNS research project on what it means to be Black-led.
The Summit took place virtually on Wednesday October 26 & Thursday October 27 from 1-5pm EST each day.
Why You Should Attend
Participants in the 2022 Summit will:
- Deepen their understanding of what being a Black-Led organization means
- Learn from Black leaders about what being Black-Led means to them and what tools and tactics they use in their work towards racial and social justice
- Reflect on what allyship and solidarity looks like in relation to supporting Black leaders, supporting Black-Led organizations, and being pro-Black
- Join dozens of participants from around the country in furthering their commitment to be an active ally
- Leave with a sense of community and inspiration for action
2022 Speakers
Kerrien Suarez (she/her)
Summit Keynote Speaker
President, Equity in the Center
Kerrien is president and chief executive officer of Equity in the Center, a field-wide initiative to influence social sector leaders to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to achieve race equity. In 2018, EiC published Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture, which details management and operational levers organizations utilize to center race equity and transform culture. A management consultant with over 20 years of experience, Kerrien led engagements to refine programs and scale impact for national nonprofits and philanthropies, as well as coached executives and social entrepreneurs of color whose work focused on eliminating race-based disparities. Kerrien is a graduate of Harvard College and London School of Economics. You can learn more about her work at www.linkedin.com/in/kerriensuarez, and follow her on Twitter at @klrs98 and @equityinthectr.
Edward Jones (he/him)
Summit Panelist & Trainer
VP of Program & Philanthropic Advising Services, ABFE
Edward M. Jones is the Vice President of Programs and Philanthropic Advising Services at ABFE – A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities, where he deeply embraces the organization’s vision. In his role, he leads philanthropic professional development & convening activities as well as supports the design and implementation of the organization’s racial justice and equity program initiatives for over 900+ members and partners across the globe. Prior to joining ABFE, he was the Director of Conference Programming at the Council on Foundations. Jones serves on the board of The Weissberg Foundation and the African American Heritage House at Chautauqua Institution. Additionally, he serves on the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers Racial Equity Working Group, is a founding member of Zion Church Justice League and was a founding contributor to its virtual Zion Anywhere network.
Edward was a founding member of Black Benefactors, a social investment club/giving circle comprised of individuals, local businesses and organizations that are dedicated to addressing the societal ills facing Black people in the DC region. He was also a founding member of Black Philanthropic Alliance and former board member of Us Helping Us, People into Living, Inc. a regionally-focused HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, overall health and well-being organization. Previously, Edward supported local volunteerism as a commissioner of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Serve DC Commission. Edward is a graduate of the University of Akron, OH.
Elizabeth Jones Valderrama (she/ella)
Summit Panelist & Trainer
Executive Director, OAR
Elizabeth Jones Valderrama has been an integral member of the OAR of Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church team for more than 16 years, including the last six years as OAR’s Executive Director. At the age of 9, Elizabeth immigrated with her family from Costa Rica to Arlington, Virginia. She went on to earn a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies with a minor in History from the University of Virginia in 2002 and a master’s degree in Organizational Management and Development from the University of Phoenix in 2005. She is currently a doctoral candidate for a Doctorate in Management focused on Organizational Leadership.
Elizabeth was honored in 2014 as one of the 40 Emerging Community Leaders under 40 years old in Arlington County and in 2019 in the City of Alexandria. She also was the Center for Nonprofit Advancement’s 2020 Excellence in Chief Executive Leadership (EXCEL) Award winner. She currently serves on the Alexandria Community Criminal Justice Board and Arlington County Community Criminal Justice Board and is a facilitator for Encore Learning’s class Crime, Public Safety, Justice, and Reentry in Arlington. In addition, she has worked to shape statewide reentry programs through the Pre and Post Incarceration Services Coalition (PAPIS: Virginia Reentry Coalition) for the last nine years. In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys being a virtual Zumba instructor specializing in Zumba Gold and Zumba Chair. She is married and has a community of kitty fur babies.
Je'Kendria Trahan (they/she)
Summit Panelist & Trainer
Executive Director, Collective Action for Safe Spaces
Je’Kendria (they/she) is a Black non-binary person who grew up in Orange, Texas, and has called the DC area their home for 17 years. Je’Kendria began her career working on DC-area educational equity and social justice initiatives in 2005, starting as an AmeriCorps literacy tutor at Garfield Elementary in Southeast DC. Since then, they’ve worked across a wide range of programs, school districts, and state departments by offering technical assistance, professional development, program implementation and evaluation, strategic planning, and community engagement through a racial justice lens.
Je’Kendria has also worked as a facilitator, healer, artist, and community organizer within the Movement for Black Lives since 2015. They have served in several leadership roles for the DC Chapter of Black Youth Project 100 and national planning teams from 2015 - 2021. They have helped build and execute local and national campaigns to end the school-to-prison pipeline in DC, divest from police and invest in Black futures, decriminalize sex work in DC, cultivate safety from state and interpersonal violence for Black marginalized genders, and invest in alternatives to prisons and police through transformative and healing justice. In addition, she has curated art galleries, hosted several healing circles for Black queer and trans folks, and has launched a platform for spiritual healing services. Je’Kendria’s politic is unapolgetically Black queer feminist, abolitionist, anti-capitalist, and is committed to liberation for all until freedom is won. Je’Kendria holds a Master’s Degree in Health Promotion (Program Implementation & Evaluation) from Mississippi State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Howard University.
Maurice Cook (he/him)
Summit Panelist & Trainer
Executive Director, Serve Your City DC & Lead Organizer with Ward 6 Mutual Aid
Raised in Maryland and DC, Maurice was the first male in his family to attend college, eventually earning a master’s degree. His love of his hometown, coupled with his frustration with the systemic racism experienced by Black and Brown youth in DC and throughout this country, drove Maurice to create Serve Your City in 2009 and to step up as a leader with Ward 6 Mutual Aid when the pandemic struck in March 2020. He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Jackie.
Samson Girma (him/his)
Summit Presenter
COO, Service Never Sleeps
An Arlington, Virginia native, Samson joined Service Never Sleeps after nearly ten years in the government and nonprofit sectors. He brings experience overseeing federal grants and supporting the capacity building of nonprofits across different focus areas. At SNS, Samson guides the strategic growth of the organization and supports the day-to-day programmatic, financial, and communications work of full-, part-time, and contract staff. Samson is a proud two time AmeriCorps Alum, having served with City Year and Public Allies programs in DC.
Whitney Parnell (she/her)
Summit Presenter & Trainer
Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Service Never Sleeps
Whitney grew up between Latin America and West Africa as a Foreign Service child. At Washington University in St. Louis, Whitney doubled majored in English and Spanish, and minored in Communications and Journalism, during which she also embraced her calling as an activist. Whitney’s passion for service and social justice brought her to Washington, DC to serve with City Year, and then work in homeless services. Whitney is excited to create a movement of service and allies by igniting quick social change through mass civic engagement.
Agenda
Day One
A brief presentation of the Allyship framework and posture.
Kerrien Suarez will share an overview of Equity in the Center’s Race Equity Cycle framework and research, including best practices that help organizations transform culture, how structural racism manifests and can be dismantled in organizations, and some of the specific challenges Black leaders face in doing this work.
A panel of social sector leaders sharing about their individual experiences, including how to thrive as Black leaders and how to support Black-Led organizations.
Panelists: Edward Jones, Elizabeth Jones Valderrama, Je’Kendria Trahan, Maurice Cook
Day Two
Black leaders & Black-led organizations and other organizations for communities of color have been here for generations – and historically under-funded. They survive-often thrive-in spite of inequitable support. Let’s discuss strategies to better support organizations LED by the people closest to the challenges.
Trainer: Edward Jones
Join Elizabeth in a Zumba Chair dance session and conversation on the liberation of dance. Come enjoy the music and dance however the universe moves you, featuring salsa, merengue, reggaeton, soca, and other rhythms.
This session will delve into the basic principles of transformative justice and abolitionist frameworks and why they are important tools for keeping marginalized communities safe. We will also discuss hands-on strategies and roles we can play in utilizing these frameworks in our daily lives. Trainer: Je’Kendria Trahan
A discussion focused on the various intentions and impacts of those in search of “community.”
Trainer: Maurice Cook
Presentation culminating SNS’ 2022 research on what it means to be Black-Led, sharing data and findings from engaging 25 nonprofit leaders and race equity experts. Participants can expect to gain insights on what being Black-led entails, common barriers Black leaders face, and the unique value that they offer.
Allyship Summit 2021 In Review
The second annual Allyship Summit: Maintaining Our Momentum brought together 50+ advocates and 8 local leaders to explore SNS’s Allyship principles and share the skills needed to turn those principles into action. The two days of virtual programming included a keynote from Azza Altiraifi that brought a combination of inspiration, motivation, and necessary discomfort, a powerful training on how to organize direct action from Danny Cendejas, music, inspiring breakout sessions, and camaraderie.
Participants came away with a deepened commitment to Allyship as forever work that must continue beyond one catalyzing moment and left feeling equipped to do the work with specific action items and tools. The conversations during the Summit were a poignant reminder of the work left to be done – and all the areas in which we can make an impact as allies, especially through building alliances.
2021 Speakers
Aja Taylor (she/her), Advocacy Director, Bread for the City & Co-Conspirator, Two Brown Girls Consulting Cooperative
Andrew Plumley, MBA (he/him), Senior Director Equity and Culture, American Alliance of Museums
Azza Altiraifi (she/they), Disability Justice Advocate and Organizer
Danny Cendejas (he/him/el), Organizer, La ColectiVA
Ericka Hines, JD (she/her), Principal, Every Level Leadership
Jessica Teachey (she/her), Senior Director of Community Engagement, The MusicianShip
Maurice Cook (he/him), Executive Director, Serve Your City DC & Lead Organizer, Ward 6 Mutual Aid
Whitney Parnell (she/her), CEO, Service Never Sleeps
Allyship Summit 2019 In Review
SNS’ inaugural Allyship Summit took place in-person on July 18 & 19 and featured activist and organizer Zy Bryant as a keynote speaker at the dynamic event reception followed by an engaging panel discussion and trainings led by seven local social justice leaders: Alicia Sanchez Gill, Danny Cendejas, Edward M. Jones, Elizabeth Jones Valderrama, Kerrien Suarez, Stacie Blake, and Whitney Parnell.
