Autumn White
Public Allies New Orleans 2020-2021
I’m a New Orleans native whose been working in the non profit industry since graduating college in 2019. My goal has always been to give back to the communities that has taught me what it looks like to put kindness and care first. I started serving my community because there isn’t a lot of native New Orleanian representation in the nonprofit space and often the true needs of the community goes unheard for lofty agendas. Public Allies not only helped me launch my career, but it helped put me in the spaces where I and my fellow Allies were needed.
Tell us about your leadership?
As a young black woman I turned to Public Allies when I was struggling to decide what to do after college. I wound up learning a great deal in the program about what I want out of a career, as well as what kind of person I’d like to be in the world. I got the chance to work on the staff level of PA for a short amount of time, and I value that time greatly. I feel that my combination of Ally and staff experience gives me a unique approach to leadership that the board could benefit from.
Which Public Allies core value resonates with you the most and why?
Continuous learning has always resonated with me because that’s the most important part of working in the nonprofit space in my opinion. If you fall in line with the status quo or fail to listen and learn from those you are serving, you’re setting your self up to do more harm than good to already vulnerable communities. This isn’t to say an org must be perfect, but it must be willing to learn and grow or else its purpose is moot.