The movement for education justice lost one of its brightest lights this week. The NEA Foundation mourns the passing of Allison R. Brown, executive director of the Communities for Just Schools Fund and a powerful voice in advancing the cause of a quality education for all students.
A lawyer by training and powerful force for changing harmful learning environments, Allison worked with schools, students, and families to eliminate barriers to educational opportunities for underserved students and improve conditions for all learners. As an attorney at the Department of Justice, founder of a service organization, and nonprofit leader building essential collaborative bridges, she worked to oppose the school-to-prison pipeline and reform systems that marginalized students of color.
Allison’s impact on school communities and her fellow advocates will endure, as will the impact of her many accomplishments during her too-short life. The NEA Foundation was proud to work alongside Allison, witness her talent and passion, and support Communities for Just Schools’ important work under her leadership. We recommit ourselves to the vital work of education justice to which she dedicated her life.
