Black Girls Matter: Activism in Action!

In honor of Black History Month, we're releasing our Black Girls Matter: Activism in Action program to the public! Join USA Girl Scouts Overseas for a very special program, hosted by Girl Scout alum and activist, Amber Koonce.

Amber Koonce, from Charlotte, North Carolina, was called to serve as an activist at an early age. Upon matriculating to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), her commitment to amplifying the voices of marginalized groups within structures of power led her to pursue a B.A. in Public Policy and Cultural studies, with a Minor in Entrepreneurship. She then went on to earn her Doctor of Law (J.D.) from Yale Law School.

While at UNC, Amber was the youngest individual appointed by the Governor to serve as a board member for the NC Council for Women. In this capacity, she worked to project the consequences proposed legislation would have on the status of women throughout the state. Her activism earned Amber the Girl Scout’s Young Woman of Distinction Award in 2010 and the Pearson Prize for Higher Education in 2011.

One of Amber’s most rewarding role has been as a mentor for incarcerated youth. For three years, Amber lead a student group to regularly work with incarcerated juveniles in Durham, North Carolina. Her concern for the plight of these youth prompted her to work within international juvenile detention centers located in Ghana and Scotland. And, eventually, to her current role with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Amber is also the founder and Executive Director of BeautyGap, a non-profit organization that distributes dolls of color to girls of color, internationally. BeautyGap earned her recognition as “The Social Entrepreneur” in Glamour Magazine’s 2011 Top Ten College Women list, and also as one of the nation’s “Top 25 Young Futurists” by The Root.

During our hour with this inspiring alum, we will hear about Amber's experience as a Girl Scout and how it shaped the activist she is today, learn more about how she's changing the world in her current role with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and walk away inspired to take action in our own communities!