Fellow:Dezmond Frazier
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Bio
Everyone has a story, and Dezmond “Dez” Frazier’s is one of challenges, resilience in face of those challenges, and vulnerability. Being released from juvenile hall, after being falsely accused of crimes he did not commit at 16, Dez embarked on his innate ability to bring people together, despite dealing with challenges with mental health. For what was a traumatic experience for Dez, he turned into inspiration when on stage with a microphone in his hand. Blossoming into a motivational event facilitator and emcee through his youth advocacy work with Boys & Girls Clubs, Dez found moving people with his radiance, grabbing his audience's attention with his rawness, and inspiring others to always give their truest selves as his truest gift to the world.
In light of inspiring others on his journey, Dez has Emcee’d a number of noteworthy community events such as the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation: Redwood City Court, 2019 Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula Youth of the Year, and TEDx Menlo College, letting the light of his story lead the way. What appeared then to be little hope being confined by the four walls of his cell, led to life changing opportunities for Dez. Post High School Graduation, Dez landed an internship at YouTube, which later manifested into his pivot to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative his second semester as a college Freshman, working as a Program Manager Extern, reporting directly to a Senior Executive. His outset was not only to demonstrate to young people that they can beat the odds, but show that they can redefine them all together.
Now at 20 years old, Dez has seen a shift in his call to action, focusing now on creative passion projects with the goal of creating all inclusive spaces for creatives of color. His goal is to take the understanding of how the challenges he overcame and use these experiences as fuel to reshape his work at the intersections of social impact, music, and business entrepreneurship creating more inclusive spaces for creatives of color to express themselves. His most recent project, organizing protests in his community for the cause of George Floyd and BLM, in light of his own experiences of police brutality.
Achievements
Kevin Durant Scholarship Recipient 2018-2019
Kevin Durant Charity Foundation Event Emcee
Finalist - Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula Youth of the Year 2018
Emcee - Kevin Durant Charity Foundation 2018
Emcee - Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula Youth of the Year 2019
Emcee - TEDx Menlo College 2019
Keynote Speaker - Alameda Community Learning Center 2019
Social media profiles
Instagram/Twitter: @Dezzfrazier
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dez-f-606b4914a/
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