Alumni Stories

Firmly grounded in an anti-oppression foundation, RGK Alumna, Amanda Lewis, has committed her professional life to the elimination of gender-based violence. Amanda spent over five years at The SAFE Alliance organizing and advocating on the local level before taking her current position at the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) as the statewide community organizer. She is currently the district 4 appointee to the Austin Commission for Women which is partnering with the Public Safety Commission and advocacy groups to understand how gender-based violence is investigated in Austin. Through this collaborative work Amanda hopes to inform statewide conversations about sexual assault and the creation of safer communities. Amanda describes statewide organizing as constantly collecting stories, learning, and listening to the experiences of people and communities and then distilling that information into flexible statewide policy. She emphasizes the need for flexible polices that are able to correspond to the needs and resources of different communities throughout Texas. Reflecting on this work Amanda says, “One thing that is a strength of organizing, is helping others become aware of their own power; it’s a beautiful thing to be part of.” The following profile highlights some of Amanda’s thoughts on nonprofit and anti-violence work.