Jamira Burley

Recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change, Jamira Burley is the essence of perseverance. Driven by her past hardships, she is dedicated to reshaping communities and disrupting the status quo.

Over the last eleven years, Jamira has made it her mission to employ her personal experiences as the driving force to improve the lives of others. From implementing anti-violence initiatives throughout the Philadelphia School District to organizing youth trainings around the world, her ardor for personal and social advancement is undeniable.

Jamira is a nationally recognized speaker, youth and social justice advocate, as well as international trainer for adult and youth leaders. Jamira leads with marked expertise on youth engagement, education reform, global citizenship, corporate social responsibility, gun violence prevention and criminal justice reform.

As the first of 16 children to graduate from high school and pursue higher education, Jamira is a Temple University graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business and Legal Studies.

Having worked over six years for The School District of Philadelphia as a youth development leader, Jamira was recruited by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter to lead the City of Philadelphia Youth Commission. As Executive Director for the Youth Commission, she represented the interests of over 600,000 Philadelphia youths and worked in the intersection of youth engagement and policy.

Presently, Jamira works as the Senior Campaigner for Amnesty International USA—one of the first and largest human rights organizations in the world. Overseeing collaboration with partners as well as Amnesty’s national and international membership base, Jamira develops and implements human rights driven campaigns on gun violence prevention and criminal justice reform.

Appointed by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell to the Pennsylvania Commission on Children and Families, Mayor Michael Nutter Police Advisory Commission and Fund For Philadelphia Board, Jamira has served on both city and state commissions. Always looking to serve the communities she lives and works in, Jamira was appointed by United Nations Secretary General, Ban Kim-moon, to United Nations Global Education First Initiative, Youth Advocacy Group. For the last three years, she has traveled to over 15 countries advocating for the rights of every child to have access to quality education.

Previously sharing the stage with world leaders including President of the World Bank, Jim Young Kim; United Nations Secretary General, Ban Kim-moon; Global education advocate, Malala Yousafzai; and social rights leader Desmond Mpilo Tut, her perseverance continues to inspire on a grand platform. Jamira has been featured in Forbes, Glamour Magazine, The New York Times, The Huffington Post and USA Today.

As she upholds her mission to inspire others to strive for the betterment of society, for Jamira Burley the journey has merely begun.