Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda Tello. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amanda, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

There have been several defining moments in my life that forever changed its trajectory and shaped how I move through the world. One significant being the murder of Mike Brown. Which I think I will focus on for this.

I hesitate to frame these moments as shifts in my professional career because the concept of “professionalism” itself warrants scrutiny—who determines what is considered “professional,” and who does it serve? Instead, I define these moments as shifts in my being and my soul. I do not separate the work I do in any part of my life from the work of my soul. It is all connected, all deeply intertwined.

In 2014, I watched as Mike Brown’s body was left lying on the pavement for hours, exposed and dehumanized. I live in St. Louis, Missouri just a short drive from Ferguson, where this took place. I wasn’t just watching from a distance—I was part of the uprising. I stood alongside my community, I witnessed firsthand the collective grief and justified anger that surged through the streets. This wasn’t just about Ferguson; it was about centuries of oppression finally erupting into flames. It was raw, it was righteous, and it was urgent—demanding action, demanding space, and, eventually, demanding healing.

As a Native (Esselen/Mixteca) person, I know and understand this form of grief. But to see it as collective, communal grief, televised for the world to witness; to participate in it; and to experience firsthand how the state responds to our grief—it was unlike anything I can fully put into words even today. In that moment, I understood how powerful we are—how powerful it is for us to witness and bear the grief of our communities. I understood that our pain wasn’t just a force for change; it was a force of destruction, and in the most beautiful way. It was the death of systems that no longer serve us. When we feel the pain, when we are seen in the pain, we can take the steps to tear those systems apart. That is what that moment was—a collective, defiant declaration that we would dismantle what harms us. And that is what they feared. We were seen, and we would keep coming.

These moments—Mike Brown’s murder and so many other injustices—taught me that grief, anger, and hope are deeply interconnected. They taught me to honor the collective cries of my community and to recognize the transformative power of righteous anger. Uprisings are not just painful—they are necessary. They are moments of reckoning, where we confront the systems that harm us and demand something different, something better. But they are not moments we face alone. What I learned in Ferguson, what I continue to see in movements for justice everywhere, is that liberation is not just about our individual willingness to rise up—it is about our capacity to rise together.

Community is the backbone of liberation. It is in the coming together—grieving together, fighting together, dreaming together—that we find our power. It reminds me of the spaces of mundos entre mundos—the worlds between worlds—where we exist, where we are seen, and where we can begin to create what we need. These are the spaces where we hold both the destruction of what no longer serves us, what NEVER served us, and the imagination of what could be. They are the in-between spaces, the liminal spaces, where liberation is born—not fully formed, but nurtured into being through the collective labor of those who dare to dream and fight together.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Amanda Tello (she/her/ella) Esselen + Mixteca – community organizer. I am deeply committed to unlearning for wholeness and liberation while co-creating systems that honor our wholeness, and interconnectedness. As a parent of nine, I approach every aspect of my life with intention, especially in raising children who are free to create and imagine. I seek to unlearn in deep ways, and through this am able to invite my children to live in ways that align with their spirits, honoring their autonomy. My parenting is much like my commitment to accountability, to showing up for my community, and to doing the often uncomfortable work of “peopleing”—even though my triple Taurus nature would much rather be curled up in my comfy bed!

Currently, I serve as the Co-Director of the Sow Joy Peoples Fund, where I nurture and transform spaces that amplify grassroots initiatives, advocate for rematriation—a return to Madre Tierra—and center the leadership of frontline communities. The Sow Joy Peoples Fund is grounded in trust-based philanthropy and is committed to promoting environmental justice by centering the voices and lived experiences of those most impacted by environmental crises.

Our vision at the Sow Joy Peoples Fund is a world where environmental justice is a reality for all, achieved through community empowerment, trust, and systemic change. We disrupt traditional philanthropy by fostering trust, removing barriers, and empowering frontline communities to lead the change they know they need. This approach is rooted in the belief that the solutions to environmental injustice already exist within the communities most affected by it. My work with the Fund allows me to amplify these voices and support their visions in a way that is transformative and equitable.

For over 15 years, I have been on the frontlines of resistance—challenging white supremacy, capitalism, and toxic systems while also engaging in the deeply restorative work of healing and returning. I am dedicated to creating spaces of liberation and care, whether through organizing, my work as a doula, or philanthropy. I strive to hold space that honors the whole person, from their grief to their joy. Everything I do is rooted in a deep love for our entire ecosystems from the people, to more than human kin, and land. Liberation is not a distant idea—it is something we create every day in how we show up for each other and how we hold space for the future we want to see.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Other than training and knowledge, I believe the most helpful thing for succeeding in my field is the commitment to unlearning. It’s not just about acquiring new skills or knowledge—it’s about peeling back the layers of conditioning and systems we’ve internalized so we can show up authentically. Unlearning requires humility, curiosity, and the willingness to be deeply uncomfortable. It’s in that discomfort where real growth happens, where we find the courage to show up fully as ourselves, without pretense or apology.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to learn was about shame—how to feel it, give it space, and also how to release it. I had to learn that I can be wrong, I can be right, and I can simply be without shame following. Shame is a tool of oppressive systems, meant to silence and disconnect us. Unlearning it is an act of liberation.

This lesson is deeply tied to everything I’ve come to understand about my work and my life. To live authentically, to organize for liberation, to raise free children, to hold space for collective grief and joy—all of it requires letting go of shame. It requires showing up fully, without fear of judgment or rejection, and trusting that in community, in connection, we can find the grace and courage to keep moving forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sowjoyfund.org
• Instagram: sowjoyfund / amandalyntello
• Linkedin: sow joy peoples fund / amanda tello

Image Credits

Professional photos were done by Tyler Small – organizations in the photos are UJIMA (https://ujimastl.com/), ACRES, and a Red Circle (https://www.aredcircle.org/) – the organizations we support can all be found on our website. Other photos are of me and my family who I mention often :)