Amnoni Myers: You Are The Prize

BOSTON NATIVE, AMNONI MYERS, IS THE PRIZE, AND MAKES US BELIEVE WE ARE TOO.

Tulsa’s living mosaic gained a piece with the arrival of Amnoni Myers (she/they). An adventurer at heart, Amnoni landed in Tulsa with the mission to connect with like-minded individuals. She holds a unique power: determination and hope even through the thick of it.

‍“After the loss of my little sister I found myself isolated and disconnected from the world. Moving to Tulsa was a way for me to not only experience a new fresh breath of air, but to challenge myself to build community in spite of the loss I faced.”

       Growing up in Boston’s foster care system, Amnoni could’ve easily let her environment eat up the joy. But like any hero’s journey, these early experiences became invitations to discover her identity. Foster care became an incubator for  growth that opened doors to becoming a first generation college graduate from Gordon College and The National Urban Fellows Program where she received her Masters in Public Administration. From there, Amnoni would go on to intern in Washington D.C. for the Obama Administration.

This would seem like a perfectly good place to end, but Amnoni was just getting started. She began writing a book documenting her drive to succeed in a world full of intricacies and survive through dark moments as a child growing up in the foster care system. Published in March of this year,  You Are the Prize is the brainchild of Amnoni’s journey.

‍“Despite negative statistics, I was always determined to create a different story than the one that was written about me… I’ve used my voice to help fuel change on the local, federal, and legislative level.”‍

       And she’s doing just that: child welfare consultant, advocate, motivational speaker, and researcher are all hats Amnoni wears in order to invoke change. Currently, she is providing recommendations to various organizations on the child welfare to prison pipeline, working on creating youth cafes for young people who are looking to recover from substance use, mental health challenges, and traumatic experiences. On the national level, she is rooting for black and brown youth and LGBTQ+ communities.

        These efforts expand beyond 9-to-5. If you‘ve seen Amnoni around our space, you know her inclusivity is refreshing. It's easy to spark conversation and even leave with a gold nugget or two from her. You can find her around town at the Goat, Tuesday night karaoke at Retro (her go-to song is Survivor by Destiny’s Child!), or grabbing some wings from Mack’s. Amnoni is an active community builder and looks forward to seeing her book flourish in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and nationwide.  She strives to never stop learning (DJing and standup are on deck for her this year). She’s betting on herself and so are we!

‍You Are the Prize can be purchased through Amazon. Want it signed? Catch Amnoni around Basecamp and she’d be happy to make it happen!

‍