Dedication to social action for community improvement and justice
By Dorothy Inman-Johnson
Special to the Outlook
Angelique Fullwood is a millennial who is following in former President Obama’s footsteps as a community organizer and social activist. She is a senior at Florida A & M University, scheduled to graduate in April 2018, with a major in journalism and a minor in Political Science. While many college students look forward to spring break, winter holidays, and summer for well deserved vacations with family and friends, Angelique is instead walking into the next storm to stand up for those who cannot stand for themselves.
My husband and I met her after the Trayvon Martin murder when the Dream Defenders occupied the Capitol and staged a sit-in to protest George Zimmerman’s acquittal. Since then, she has bravely traveled to Ferguson, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Valdosta, Baltimore, and New Orleans to add her support for peaceful demonstrations and social action to demand justice for unarmed Black men killed by police, as well as some travel to give support to the efforts of Black Lives Matter. Last year, she spent her summer as a paid intern and organizer for a large labor union in Washington D.C. working on grassroots organizing for mostly low wage, Black and Latino workers. In addition, she organized three Dream Defenders marches in Tallahassee; one of which was in protest of the unjustified tasing and arrest of a grandmother by the Tallahassee Police Department. She is especially proud that due to the Dream Defenders’ leadership and social action, charges were dropped against Ms. Young and she was released soon after the arrest.
It is difficult to see how she finds the time to give so much to improve the lives of others, with the demands of school and her work in journalism. Besides her schedule of classes, she is Managing Editor of the Journey Magazine, was Executive Editor of the Talon Newspaper, and a production assistant for TV 20 Election Night News Special for 2016 while maintaining a 3.2 GPA. Angelique was recently a guest on my Radio Talk show, “Just the Facts”, on WTAL; and her grasp and understanding on issues of inequality and injustice were impressive.
Her mother is a Reading Coordinator for Hillsborough County Schools. They should be proud of her achievements and very big heart. Her awards include Best Newspaper Editorial, Second Place for Best News Story, and Third Place for Best News Design in 2016 for the Florida College System Publications Association.
It is always inspiring to meet young people who are so dedicated to service.
(Please send recommendations for persons you feel should be honored as Person of the Week to dotinman-johnson@hotmail.com.)
