Alumni Spotlight: Nic James '00
As the Director of Racial Equity Storytelling and Community Impact for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity, Nic James ’00 is crucial in ensuring that the city’s initiatives center the lived experiences of its residents. |
His role focuses on helping city departments incorporate resident voices into their projects and policies through racial equity training, narrative change, and community engagement. |
Nic is currently working on a visual storytelling project focused on water shut-off prevention, as well as overdose reduction resourcing and information sharing. He emphasizes the importance of making data accessible and relatable to residents and helping them understand their value in shaping city programs and policies. “The goal, more than anything else, is to give voice to the people who have these lived experiences and let them be a part of the creation and decision-making process for programming and policy change,” Nic said.
Nic’s career journey was shaped by his background in education and a lifelong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work. He initially worked in schools—including formerly serving as middle school dean of Friends Select—before transitioning to broader civic engagement through his role with the city and by “giving back” to Quaker education in his diversity work with Friends Council on Education. “When the COVID-19 pandemic started and changed everybody’s world, I thought—can I have a broader impact beyond just one school?” he recalled. “That, coupled with the societal shifts around Black Lives Matter, pushed me to think about how I could have a greater reach.”
His time as a Friends Select student still has a significant influence in shaping his worldview. “The gift that Friends Select gave me and keeps on giving is the ability to be in different kinds of spaces and feel like I belong there,” Nic shared. Years after graduating, Nic unexpectedly encountered his fourth-grade teacher, Susie Matlack, at a workshop he was leading on conversations about race in an education setting. Without knowing she was in the audience, he shared a story in his presentation about how her class had profoundly impacted him. “Friends Select really does bring out so much more of you than you even realize is there,” he said.
As he continues his work with the city, Nic remains committed to leading meaningful change.“My goal in my work with the city is for Philadelphia to prosper,” he said. “The way to do that is to make sure that the groundwork is happening and that we don't lose sight of the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion work across the board.”
As we look forward to Alumni Weekend (May 2-4), we are proud to highlight Friends Select alumni making a difference in their communities and the world.
