Taylor Toynes is MOVING, MOTIVATING, and constantly CHALLENGING the status quo.  He is the co-founder and executive director of For Oak Cliff, which he started with students as a first-year teacher. Challenged by the disparities and inequities his students experienced, and noting that nothing had changed since his childhood, Taylor was compelled to organize the inaugural FOC Back to School Festival for his students and community. 

For Oak Cliff has gained tremendous momentum and has become the backbone nonprofit entity supporting the South Oak Cliff community through its four pillars of work: education, advocacy, community building, and the arts. 

Taylor is a national board member for the Trust for Public Land and is committed to creating equitable park spaces for his community. For his leadership, Taylor has received awards from the United Nations, the NAACP, and Southern Methodist University (SMU), to name a few. Taylor and the FOC team won Teach For America’s Social Innovation Award and have been recognized by national news outlets. Taylor is a graduate of the University of North Texas and has a master’s degree from SMU. And newly named Echoing Green Fellow.

I hope you follow Taylor's lead and jump into action!

To learn more about Taylor and For Oak Cliff, follow them on their website and on Instagram.