Rest in Power: Remembering the Legacy of Allison Brown
It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our beloved colleague and friend Allison Brown, the founder and executive director of Communities for Just Schools Fund, an AFF grantee partner and co-convener for our biennial grantee conference, Education Anew: Shifting Justice. Allison passed away from cancer on Saturday night after a long battle, leaving behind two children — Zora (14) and Massai (17) — and many movement leaders who will eternally remember her legacy as deeply compassionate, kind, regal and no nonsense.
Allison worked consistently for education justice, starting her career defending children’s rights in the deep South. She also worked tirelessly to move philanthropic resources to education organizing groups nationwide. Among her many moments of triumph was the recent plenary she facilitated focusing on education and youth justice in Jackson, Mississippi as part of our 2020 EASJ convening. Team AFF salutes our co-conspirator and comrade Allison, and wishes our sister fund CJSF (Jaime Koppel, Thena Robinson Mock, Alexis Smith, Allie McCullen, Cierra Kaler-Jones and the crew) our deepest sympathies and condolences.
The Andrus Family Fund is committed to the fight for education justice and ensuring that we continue to support the work Allison started. Please consider making a donation in her name to the Education Anew Fund, housed within CJSF and New Venture Fund here.
Rest in power and light beloved warrior.