Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity Program 2025: Empowering Leaders for Racial Justice

The Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity Program 2025 portal are now open, The effects of anti-Black racism have created a violent and fragmented world with deeply entrenched patterns of domination. In response, the struggle for racial justice often leaves leaders working for change burnt out, isolated from peers, and due to the tyranny of the urgent, without the time and space to engage their imaginations towards crafting new solutions.

That’s why our 12-month Fellowship experience invites change-makers from throughout the Black diaspora into a collective journey of deepening their leadership, grappling with the global patterns of domination, and unlocking their creativity for social change.

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Benefit:

AFRE supports Fellows’ participation and leadership development through:

• Round-trip travel, accommodation, food, and ground transportation costs for all in-person convenings.
• Fellows may access up to $10,000 USD to support their leadership development and incidental costs of attending in-person programming.
• Family care funding for Fellows supporting children, dependents, and family members.
• Up to six and half hours of leadership coaching sessions.

They hope by the end of the Fellowship each Fellow has:

• Gained insight into complex histories of race, engaged their imaginations about its potential futures and grappled with the present global forces that perpetuate white supremacy and anti-Black racism.

• Developed personal strategies and routines to strengthen their long-term staying power in the fight to combat anti-Black racism.
• Supported the formation of meaningful and robust lifelong relationships.
• Articulated their next idea for impact and acted on their vision.
• Upon graduating, Fellows become members of the Global Atlantic Fellows Community via the Atlantic Institute.

They expect Fellows to integrate their learning from the Fellowship Experience into their leadership practice and to work towards improving the quality of Black life throughout the world. They expect Fellows to embody the values of liberation for all people and to demonstrate their commitment to their own leadership and cohort by being fully present for official programming.

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Topics They Explore:

• Racemaking and racialisation
• Narrative power and strategy
• Global forces of anti-Black racism
• The futures of race
• Domination and racial capitalism
• Somatic and wellness practices
• Collective and interpersonal leadership competencies
• Personal theory of change

Eligibility

All applicants must meet the minimum requirements listed below:

• Have a minimum of 5 years of professional experience in racial equity or related field.
• Can commit to fully participating in all programming sessions including a 2-week residency in South Africa and weeklong in-person convening (Location TBD).
• Will be living in Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, or the SWANA region during virtual programming (September 2025, October 2025, and February 2026).
• Will not be participating in another Fellowship programme during the programming dates.
• Highly proficient in spoken and written English.
• Kindly note that there are no academic qualifications required.

How to Apply Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity Program 2025:

Ideal candidates will demonstrate and embody a range of the characteristics listed below:

• Open: Are eager to learn and know more about others and the world.

• Aware: Are conscious of themselves and awake to the world around them.

• Intentional: Are thoughtful and mindful in their actions.

• Aspiring: Can see possibilities beyond our current reality.

• Caring: Can relate to and care about others’ experiences.

• Relational: Are committed to the well-being and health of others.

• Bold: Has demonstrated a willingness to take risks.

• Persistent: Has persevered through challenges.

How to Apply Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity Program 2025:

Application Deadline: 31 March. 2025