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ABOUT

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​MISSION AND HISTORY

About Organization

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Education is supposed to be the great equalizer; however, that doesn't just pertain to education inside the classroom. At Destination Liberation we believe that the world is indeed our classroom and we are excited to learn. Destination Liberation was founded by Chanceé Lundy Russell to expose black girls, ages 14-17, to different cultures throughout the African Diaspora. These opportunities are provided to give the girls a safe space to connect with peers, increase their self-confidence, learn valuable research skills,  participate in cross cultural dialogue with other black girls throughout the diaspora, become global thinkers and doers, and have fun. 

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Mission

The mission of Destination Liberation is to educate, expose, and empower young black women through global learning experiences throughout the African Diaspora.

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What is the African Diaspora you ask? 

The African Diaspora refers to all peoples whose ancestors were forcibly removed from the African continent during the TransAtlantic Slave Trade. The overwhelming majority of these people now live throughout the Americas.

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Geographic Areas Served

Destination Liberation, Inc. primarily serves youth from Alabama's Blackbelt; however, we will make select slots available for national participation. 

 

Organizational Outcomes

 

Participants will

  • Gain an international perspective of cultures that exist within the African diaspora

  • Become leaders, organizers, and global thinkers

  • Have the ability to collaborate with peers towards a common goal

  • Become equipped with tools that help prepare them for the next phase of life

MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER

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Hi, I’m Chanceé!

 

Growing up in Selma, Alabama, I know first-hand how poverty can limit access to opportunities. My grandmother worked very hard, but we often lacked the resources to afford the extras. This has always stuck with me and I am grateful for people who sowed into me when we just didn’t have it. After participating in my first international trip to Mali, West Africa in 2000, I felt that exposure to other cultures and history shouldn’t be something that only those who could afford it should experience. Conceived on paper in 2009, it would take me a decade to bring the full vision of Destination Liberation to life.  I really want to make sure that black girls from communities like mine can see the world and through that travel learn more about themselves and how to help their communities.

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I’ve always been a self-starter so although I would be a first-generation college student, I attended Alabama A&M University majoring in Environmental Science. Later I was selected to be in the inaugural class of Gates Millennium Scholars and went on to receive my Masters in Civil Engineering from Florida State University. After that, I went to work in corporate America and then I founded, owned, and operated Nspiregreen LLC a planning and engineering consultancy based in Washington, DC for eleven years before selling the firm in December 2020. I’ve told pieces of my story in three different anthologies: It’s Just High School: Inspiring Reflections of the Beauty, Pain, and Pressure of High School Life, EmpowerMoments for the Everyday Woman, and Transitioning to I Can From I Can’t. This is just a snippet of who I am as the founder of Destination Liberation, proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc and Lifetime Member of the National Society of Black Engineers. I am not saying this to be boastful but to illustrate how exposure can completely change the trajectory of someone’s life. I'm a witness. 

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I encourage you to support our work by donating now.

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Thanks

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