Today, July 29th, is a very special day. July 29th is so special because it is the birthday of one of Fashion Redefining Justice’s (FRJ) amazing Board members, Janai Smith. Therefore, it is only befitting to dedicate this posting to her - highlighting her wonderful contributions not only to FRJ, but to her community and the world.
Janai Smith is passionate about gender equity, youth activism, and human rights. These passions have been evident throughout her journey thus far - from her earning a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with minors in Gender Studies, Community & International Development, and French - to working with various youth development non-profit organizations, educating youth about various human rights issues and how they can fight for social justice - to serving with the Public Allies AmeriCorps program - to spending five months in Cameroon volunteering at an orphanage for an HIV/AIDS non-governmental organization.
Today, in conjunction with pursuing her Masters in Global Gender Studies at New York University and running the Youth Against Child Trafficking (Y-ACT) program to educate teens about child sex trafficking in the United States at ECPAT-USA, Janai is serving as a Founding Board Member for FRJ. Not only is she serving as a Board member, but as the Board Secretary!
There is nothing this fantastic and dedicated woman will not do in the name of service to youth and other vulnerable populations. This is why on her birthday, I, as the Founder and President of FRJ, and her other fellow Board members, want to acknowledge Janai Smith for her passionate contributions to FRJ, her community, and the world.
Happy Birthday Janai!