Background:

On February 24th, as part of a school-wide speech in celebration of Black History Month, Academic Magnet has invited Haley Taylor Schlitz to speak. Though you might not have heard her name, she has certainly made in a splash in the fight for equitable education and is the perfect role model for a young activist looking for a role model who proves that you don’t need to wait to make a difference. 

After graduating from high school at 13, Schlitz graduated from college at 16, and eventually became America’s youngest black law school graduate at 19. Schlitz is is an advocate for equitable education and has said she went to law school so she could help improve the US education system. She plans to use her new law degree to work in education policy. 

Upbringing and Accomplishments: 

Schlitz attended public school until 5th grade when she began homeschooling because her parents were disappointed with her lack of access to gifted education. She wasn’t allowed to take the entrance exams and said she was constantly being told no. She also said the racism she experienced encouraged her decision to leave public school. Schlitz is thankful for the time she spent homeschooling, saying it allowed for more time to follow her passions. For example, while she was homeschooled, she and her mother co-wrote a book titled “The Homeschool Alternative: Incorporating a Homeschool Mindset for the Benefit of Black Children in America”.

Her advocacy:

During her college years, she was elected to Texas Woman’s University Student Senate to represent the College of Professional Education. During this time, she headed multiple efforts including rewriting the TWU Student Government Association Constitution and the Student Senate’s Bylaw and forming a public coalition to support Daca students and families. 

At 14, she was 1 out of 15 teens on The Representation Project’s Global Youth Advisory Council, advocating for breaking female stereotypes and eventually serving as MC for their fundraising gala.

Later, she became the youngest delegate ever for the Texas Democratic Party convention, and she got the opportunity to introduce Kamala Harris at a local event. She has also attended the ACLU’s Teen Summer Public Policy Program.

In 2019, Shiltz was a keynote speaker at National Association For Gifted Children Convention. In 2020, Beyonce honored her as 1 of 4 people featured during black history month. Not only is Schlitz an academic superstar, she also has been crowned Miss Keller and Miss Tarrant County Outstanding Teen. 

Seemingly never running out of accomplishments, in 2020, she served as a delegate at the National Democratic convention for Joe Biden. She also has served as a Young Scholar for the African American Policy Forum which inspired her to run a fundraising campaign for the program by selling “Ambitious Girls Make History T-shirt” with RAYGUN, a clothing company she made sure was sweatshop free. Additionally, in the summer of 2020, she did a judicial internship with Dallas County Judge Shequitta Kelly.

In 2021, Schlitz become 1 of 6 national editors for the American Bar association Law Student division. She also has hosted Zooming In w/Gen Z, a Citizen United interview-based media platform. 

One part of typical college life Schlitz didn’t miss out on was joining a sorority. In 2020, she joined Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, a sorority founded with a focus on public service through education. She was included in their 100-year portrait. Schlitz is also part of the American Federation of Teachers, Local 9000 for her belief in the importance of education. 

Her family and freetime:

Haley has a brother, Ian, and a sister, Hanna who she loves spending time with. She plays the Piano, Harp, and participates in both sabre and epee fencing. She also loves playing video games and drawing. 

It is pretty undeniable that in her brief time on this Earth, Haley Taylor Schlitz has made a world of difference. It’s hard to believe she is only a couple of years older than you and me. Though Academic Magnet students have the privilege of hearing her live, if you would like to hear more from her, here are some resources to learn more about her and links to interviews:

Personal website: https://www.haleytaylorschlitz.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt9Eq-LXjdSdE-DLiU2kKiw

(Her youtube contains videos of all her media appearances including on Zooming in with Gen-z, BBC World Service, and Dallas Morning News)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTaylorSchlitz

(Her twitter contains links to interviews, shared news stories, and retweets about important topics such as critical race theory, education, and amplifying black voices)

However, Taylor seems to be attempting to switch her Twitter following to Spoutible, a similar social media site that prides itself on mitigating the hate speech that Twitter has come to be known for and was just launched a week ago

Spoutible: @HaleyTaylorSchlitz

Contact her: https://www.haleytaylorschlitz.com/copy-of-contact