Who is She?
Who is she?
The Black Foster Youth Handbook
The Black Foster Youth Handbook
50+ Lessons I learned to successfully Age-Out of Foster Care and Holistically Heal
Hey Purpose-Chaser!
My name is Ángela Quijada-Banks. I'm a best-selling Author, Educator, Artist and Purpose Coach with a tenaciously innovative drive for revolutionary transformation in the political, economic, health care and child welfare systems. I work every day to learn how we can dispute and overcome the disparities for low income communities of color. I focus on accountability, restoration and holistic healing in young people of color and I will not stop until I can no longer keep going.
But truth be told... I shouldn't be here right now. I shouldn't be doing what I do ...well at least, not according to what I've been through and where I come from.
And yet, like one of the greatest contradictions that ever lived-- here I stand; smiling, breathing and living abundantly in my purpose.
2020
Speaker at the First Star Alumni Halloween Meetup
FOSTER SCHOLARS: OCTOBER COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Join the Foster Scholars for the October Community Connections “Meet the Authors” session on Oct. 27th from 10am PDT/1pm EDT
At this session you will meet the authors who have recently published books sharing their story about their time in foster care through a children's book, a handbook, and autobiography. They will share an overview of their book, their inspiration to write it, and how they become published authors. Everyone is welcomed to participate and to listen and learn from the published authors who have a history in foster care.
Register here: http://bit.ly/The-Authors
FEATURING AUTHORS:
· Dr. Deshunna Monay Ricks, “I Am Valuable”
· Angela Quijada-Banks, “The Black Foster Youth Handbook: 50+ Lessons I Learned to Successfully Age-Out of Foster Care and Holistically Heal:”
· Alexis & Justin Black, “Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat the Odds and Discovered Healing, Happiness and Love”
Featured in the L.A progressive journal
Featured in The Imprint news
(youth&family news)
Are You Building a Legacy or Just Hustlin'?
The Fostering Change Network :
#AlumniSuccess Speaker Series: Ángela Quijada-Banks
October 5, 2020 Release:
The FCN Foundation unites and empowers alumni of foster care globally while supporting their personal and professional endeavors and dispelling the foster care stigma.
Take a moment with #AlumniSuccess, Ángela Quijada-Banks to stop with the hustle and bustle of life and answer the question- Are you building a legacy or are you just hustlin'?
Don't forget to R.S.V.P. for her Q&A Session on October 23, 2020
https://www.fcnfoundation.org/fcnevents/angelaquijada-banks
Bring your questions and an open heart & mind!
The Black Foster Youth Handbook Launch Party!
First Look at The Black Foster Youth Handbook w/ Emilio (Sauce-E)
New Author Who This? with Foster Youth In Action
for more info on upcoming launch events
IG live debut on @originalsoulflower account
Hope Rising for Suicide Prevention
www.hoperising.one
AMERICA'S NEXT MOTIVATOR! EP. 60 ANGELA QUIJADA-BANKS
WE'RE STARTING THE WEEK OFF STRONG WITH A CHAMPION - OUT OF FOSTER CARE ANGELA QUIJADA-BANKS ! SHE CREATED THE BLACK FOSTER YOUTH HANDBOOK !! JOIN US THIS EVENING FOR THE DISCOVERY OF SOMEONE WE SHOULD ALL KNOW AND SUPPORT! "THERE'S SOMETHING HERE FOR YOU, STOP BY AND PICK IT UP!"
Art Gallery with The Empty Frames Intiative
This is a photo of me at my art gallery in Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. This was one of many photos and excerpts that are featured in my latest work, The Story of foster care . The text beside it explains how it relates to my story of struggle and mindset shift while amidst the foster care system. This project was in collaboration with
A book, I co-authored with former foster youth, social workers and foster parents in collaboration with The Empty Frames Initiative.
Spoken word feature on Black Mental Health Matters, Stay Home for My Life Virtual Youth Fest
Hosted by Greg Dee,
"Black Mental Health Matters! So blessed to have these amazing trailblazers for social justice who are also mental health experts Victor Armstrong Kyaien Conner Sharon Wise as speakers for this week's virtual youth fest. Please join us for inspiration and enlightenment on this important topic and movement. And amazing entertainment too by @ShandrickJ Angela Quijada-Banks! This is a free event open to anyone. Register at www.bit.ly/mylifevirtual and please share! BLM "
Stay Home for my Life , Graduation speech
Fostering Change Network Foundation
Board Member
Foster Care Awareness
Stay Home for Life virtual fest
(California Youth Connection)Day at the Capitol in Sacramento, CA
Had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Mara Brock Akil.
2019
Daniel Memorial Conference in
Orlando, Florida
Facilitating workshops + featured on a panel for Child welfare reformation in Orlando, FL for the Daniel Memorial National Conference .
I was staffing 6 phenomenal youth to support their leadership and facilitation development.
We had a blast!
2018
Black August in the Park , 2018 Raleigh North Carolina
2017
I spoke at Senator Barringer's Celebration of the passing of House Bill 630: Rylan's Law, Family/ Child Protection and Accountability act (Left to right: Carmelita Coleman, Executive director of Sayso ; Tamara Barringer, Senator ; Jimmy Wayne, celebrity singer
Accompanying Senator Tamara Barringer on CBS news
She made announcement about House Bill 630 and Rylan's Law (Improving the Foster Care System )with the support of Sayso inc.
Casey Family Program Retreat in
Seattle, WA
National Policy Council in Washington,DC
Pictured here ( we were having a meeting with Jerry Milner, Acting Commissioner of the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services..)
The National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council convenes to provide federal stakeholders with relevant and timely information as policies and procedures are created that will impact children and families throughout the country. The Council represents a collective viewpoint of youth and alumni who have personal experience in the foster care system.
The Council advises by:
Using their experiences in foster care to identify and inform priorities and offer ideas to improve child welfare policy
Educating policymakers and other stakeholders about their varied experiences in foster care
Analyzing effectiveness of programs and policies based on the experiences of youth in foster care
National Foster Youth Shadow Day in Washington D.C
(GOLDEN HIGHLIGHTS - my pod in gold lanyards featuring friends in other pods)
In 2017, I was selected from 300+ applicants to become 1 of 6 First Ever POD Leader with lived experience in the child welfare system to be apart of the monumental 3 day event of flying up to 100 youth from all over the country to Washington D.C to shadow their perspective Congressman/woman from their district. Months leading to this event, my 5 peers and the staff at the National Foster Youth Institute ( headquartered in Los Angeles) developed criteria, reviewed applicants and interviewed 100s of youth nationally. Once in D.C, the 6 of us worked tirelessly to make sure youth were clear of logistics, helped craft their story, led workshops around resources in their states, college assistance and ofcourse, cultural competence in foster care. On the final day, we marched the streets of washington D.C , documenting the day and our mission with the Hashtag #FosterYouthVoices that within minutes went viral! Many celebrites such as Ashton Kutcher and others jumped on the hashtag as well as #FosterCare and #FosterYouthVoicesMatter !
Pod leaders coached our pods of 6-15 youth/alumni and took on our days with pride --meeting the staff and congress to match a true face and story to a easily forgotten story. And by the end of the day, we had made our mark of the world.
2016
Meeting Congressman G.K Butterfield
I met with Congressman G.K Butterfield in Washington D.C to discuss issues regarding youth of color in foster care. He graduated from North Carolina Central University, the first college I attended for two years before transferring to NC State.