Sheyda Brown went from staying quiet to organizing for change. In this talk, she breaks down four roles every organizer needs to understand—and what real leadership looks like in practice. True heroes aren’t the ones in the spotlight. They’re the ones building people up and creating the kind of change that lasts. If we want a better world, we need to invest in the people who are working to build it. Sheyda Brown is an Iranian-American political organizer and strategist working to build collective power with communities of color in Oklahoma. Rooted in deep relationships and radical imagination, she fights white supremacist violence while advancing policy, narrative, and systems change. She began organizing after Hurricane Harvey, supporting disaster recovery in Houston’s Black and Brown neighborhoods. With 12+ years in the nonprofit sector, she’s led campaigns securing wage increases, federal investments, and lasting policy wins. Sheyda holds a Master of Social Work and completed Harvard Kennedy School’s Leadership, Organizing, and Action course. She is a 2022 Aspen Institute Healthy Communities Fellow and 2021 New Leaders Council Fellow. Across philanthropy and grassroots movements, her work centers marginalized voices and affirms that power belongs with the people. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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