Diamond Colbert

Diamond Colbert is a Stoneleigh Youth Advocacy Fellow at Juvenile Law Center. She joined the organization recently and is interested in supporting policy advocacy and community-centered efforts that advance the rights and well-being of youth. Her interest in advocacy is rooted in both lived experience and a longstanding commitment to community engagement. 

Diamond has been interested in helping her community from a very young age. At the age of 12, she was first introduced to advocacy work by assisting her substitute teacher with his campaign for state representatives in her local district. That early experience sparked a lasting interest in civic engagement, policy, and the ways in which systems and legislation directly impact individuals and families. 

Diamond is currently an intern at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, where she has been working for the past year. In this role, she focuses on advocating for youth in the foster care system and ensuring they have access to appropriate resources, protections, and opportunities. She also engages with policy reform initiatives aimed at improving the foster care system and supporting youth more broadly. Her experience has reinforced the importance of client-centered representation and community informed approaches to advocacy, particularly for young people navigating complex systems. 

Diamond also brings perspective shaped by her time in the child welfare system. During that period, she made it her mission to help connect other youth to the right resources and supports, recognizing the critical role access to information, stability, and advocacy play in positive outcomes. These experiences continue to inform her interest in youth justice, policy reform, and community-based solutions. 

Diamond completed coursework in Pre Law at Thomas Jefferson University and plans to continue her legal education. She is particularly interested in the intersection of law, policy, and community-based advocacy, with a focus on creating systems that are more responsive, equitable, and supportive of youth and families. 

Fun fact: Diamond is also a mother, a perspective that informs her commitment to working toward systems that better support and protect youth and families.