Women to Watch: Rubin Fortunato Celebrates Inspiring Women Leaders — Tonita Austin
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March 15, 2024
During Women’s History Month, Rubin Fortunato is celebrating the remarkable contemporary women who uplift our communities every day. Today, Rubin Fortunato spotlights Tonita Austin.
In addition to founding and running her own accounting firm, Tonita is a dedicated community and social activist. Born and raised in West Philadelphia, she attended Foxcroft boarding school on scholarship through A Better Chance, an experience that gave her a different view of people and the world we live in. She went on to join the inaugural class of women admitted to Columbia College in 1983 and is a University of Pennsylvania alumna.
Both a published poet and essayist, Tonita has regularly been invited to recite her work aloud at rallies and events for Black Lives Matter and Mothers of Black Sons. In 2017, moved by the lack of mental health care and inhumane conditions of confinement leading to increased suicide among those incarcerated, she became a founding member of the Delco Coalition for Prison Reform (DelcoCPR), along with a few brilliant women and a male attorney, that ultimately succeeded in its mission to de-privatize the only privately run, for-profit prison in Delaware County.
Borrowing from DelcoCPR’s momentum and the conversations that changed minds about prison conditions in her home county, Tonita has stepped down as Chair and shifted her focus to improving children’s lives in her community. She recently became an active member of Care Not Control Coalition and Decarcerate Delco, both groups pushing for alternatives to youth incarceration in Delaware County.
The answer to “why” taking care of children is so important to Tonita comes quickly; she believes deeply that our collective future lies with the youth of today. She explains: “The Maasai tribes have it right. When they meet among villages, their traditional greeting to each other means, ‘How are the children?’ Think about that – the first thing they do is ask about the next generation.” With that in mind, Tonita offers her time and support to several organizations with missions to foster positive change and improve the lives of young people in the greater Philadelphia area, including Voices for Children Coalition (VFCC) and Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout (YEAH Philly).
VFCC was launched in 2019 by Casa Youth Advocates, with a straightforward mission to improve the lives and well-being of children by strengthening families and the systems that support them in Delaware County. Equity is among its guiding principles, which appeals to Tonita who feels strongly that all children should have access to the opportunities, networks, resources, and supports that they need to enjoy healthy childhoods.
YEAH Philly is a black-led, community-based nonprofit that works with teens and young adults in West and South Philadelphia who have been impacted by violence. Established in 2018, YEAH Philly is a youth hangout location that is dedicated to conflict resolution, peer gun violence mediation, and employment opportunities for Black teens. The organization appeals to Tonita because of what it provides: healing, mental health awareness, and a safe place to gather, cook, create music, learn new behaviors, and just be children. As the organization’s finance manager, Tonita donates her financial expertise helping the group plan for longevity, and ensuring funding and proper reporting.
Rubin Fortunato celebrates Tonita and others like her, who inspire us by making a difference. For program information and to learn how you can help support Voices for Children, YEAH Philly, and A Better Chance, visit these sites: https://yeahphilly.org/about/ https://voicesforchildrendelco.org/#events and https://abetterchance.org/about/our-story.
Do you know an inspiring woman leader? Email bpalma@rubinfortunato.com or mliebesman@rubinfortunato.com to feature them in a future post.
