This Is Us!
Our Founder
Tanesha Peeples
Tanesha Peeples founded The Roots Initiative with the sole purpose and passion to help heal, build and liberate her community. While she wasn't sure of the "how" at the time, she knew she wanted to create spaces for youth to thrive in their genius as the next generation of leaders.
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As a faithful injustice interruptor in the education advocacy arena, Tanesha fought relentlessly for Black kids to receive the education they needed and deserved. While the battle felt dispiriting and seemed hopeless at times, the how and why became more clear as she navigated personal and professional experiences in the space.
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Over time, Tanesha realized that deep-seated opposition to true liberation could only be combatted through the power and radicalism of the grassroots.​
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This grassroots resistance and transformative change is deeper than public protests against racial injustice. It's a resistance that emanates from the will to live and thrive. It's rooted in cultural awareness, wellness, joy and, most importantly, radical love.​ And with that purpose defined, The Roots Initiative found its mission.
Our Mission & Vision
The Roots Initiative (TRI) is driven by a powerful mission: to activate Black youth as the architects and leaders of transformative civic and social change in their communities and beyond. We believe that, when youth are provided with the social-emotional supports, education, and resources to understand their power, identity, culture, and inherent genius, then they will have a greater sense of possibility as well as the confidence and knowledge to engage civically, resulting in positive economic, civic and social change in their communities and city.
Rooted in our values of cultural and identity awareness, social-emotional wellness and collective responsibility and power, we will bring our vision of thriving, self-determined communities actualized through youth leadership and civic engagement to fruition.
Our Team
At The Roots Initiative, our team is dedicated to motivating and championing Black youth as they actively assume roles as architects and catalysts of transformative change. By tapping into their passion, creativity, and potential, our mission is to play a part in shaping a future where communities flourish, and the trajectory of societal progress is guided by the visionary leadership of our youth.
