Film and animation student awarded prestigious Frederick Douglass Fellowship

Jahaad Shairi, a School of Film and Animation (SoFA) sophomore, has been selected as a 2022 CIEE Frederick Douglass Global Fellow—an honor awarding him a full scholarship to represent Rochester Institute of Technology at a four-week leadership program for students of color that is set in Ireland and focused on peace, social justice, and conflict resolution.

The Government of Ireland will co-sponsor the 2022 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows to continue the legacy project created to honor the 175th anniversary of the meeting between 27-year-old abolitionist Frederick Douglass and noted Irish reformer Daniel O’Connell in Dublin in 1845. While in Ireland, the fellows will explore the life stories, leadership styles, and legacies of Douglass and O’Connell as they engage in a comparative study of peace and conflict resolution through the lens of Ireland, the Middle East, and South Africa.

Shairi is one of 16 diverse student leaders selected from a record number of applicants based on their demonstrated leadership and communication skills and their dedication to creating positive social change.

A film and animation major, he was selected as a fellow because of his academic excellence, communication skills, and commitment to social justice. A native of Rochester, N.Y., once home to Douglass, Shairi cites the renowned abolitionist as a lifelong inspiration.

“Growing up he had a huge impact on me,” he said. “Having such a great person be from Rochester showed me that there’s no limit to what I can achieve.”

“What I admire most now in adulthood is his ability to rise out of the most unimaginable depths of despair despite the rigid systems working against him,” Shairi added.  

A highlight of his commitment to service in his community is Shairi’s work advocating for artistic and creative resources for RIT students. He facilitated a campus-wide effort for student access to Adobe Creative Suite and worked with SoFA faculty and administrators to discuss integrating new elements into existing film and media studies curriculum.  

“The 2022 cohort of Frederick Douglass Global Fellows is an extraordinary group of students, representing a rich diversity of backgrounds, universities, academic majors, and personal stories,” said James P. Pellow, president and CEO of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). “These leaders of tomorrow will be transformed through their experience in Ireland, as was Frederick Douglass in 1845, returning home with a global perspective on how to agitate peacefully for positive change in their communities and in our world.”

Ireland was special to Frederick Douglass, said Nettie Washington Douglass, chairwoman and co-founder of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, and the great-great-granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington.

“The welcome and respect with which Frederick was greeted across his tour of Ireland affected him profoundly,” she said. “I can think of no better place for these exceptional young people to hone their leadership skills and prepare to be agents of change.”

The Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship was launched in 2017 as part of CIEE’s commitment to increasing access to study abroad by students in underrepresented groups. In addition to funding the 16 Fellows, CIEE will provide more than 700 students who applied for this year’s fellowship a $1,500 Frederick Douglass Scholars Grant towards any CIEE study abroad program within the next year, committing more than $1 million dollars in grant funds to help diverse students study abroad.

To learn more about the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, go to the CIEE website.