With her office decorated with thick books and toys, Amina Humphrey sits wearing bold, brilliant red lipstick and a colorful-beaded African choker.

Her fierce gaze exerts a presence of confidence, yet her kind facial features hint at her altruistic character.

Humphrey is a student mentor and ethnic studies professor at El Camino College who also devotes her time and money to advocating for the education and empowerment of young women worldwide.

“I want the world to know that women are very powerful, more so than patriarchs who try to suppress our voices,” Humphrey said. “I come from humble beginnings, no money, no love, no support, but I want people, especially women, to feel empowered to bring about change.”

Her passion for ethnic studies and literature has taken her to Mombasa, Kenya, where she set up a micro-library and art center for children in 2023.

Humphrey’s work in Kenya centered on expanding access to books and art.

“I’ve spoken to a lawyer,” Humphrey said. “How can I create this nonprofit with a focus on building micro libraries for the poor and disenfranchised… I’m not even just talking about Africa, I’m talking about South Central Los Angeles too.”

Humphrey is also an active advocate for anti-trafficking work. Beginning in 2015, she worked with a feminist organization on literacy in Morocco while teaching African American Studies at Loyola Marymount University.

Besides traveling, Humphrey is an avid donor, sending toys, books and games to children in Nigeria and other parts of Africa when she can.

Humphrey mentions she used retirement funds, along with donations from friends, family and GoFundMe, to bring suitcases filled with books and toys to children to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

“I want them to see the beauty of people from around the world… because I know, like me, that many of them will never get a chance to travel or get a book,” Humphrey said. “I wish you could see their faces as they get a new book or a doll.”

In Zimbabwe, she worked with Tanaka Muparadzi and her anti-trafficking organization, Trafficking in Persons Advocate Network Trust, to help trafficked women and children.

Humphrey takes her ECC students under her wing through mentorship programs, introducing them to a multitude of different opportunities, cultivating public speaking skills and advocating for diverse children’s literature.

Humphrey’s passion for ethnic studies began in her childhood, growing up in what she described as a segregated South during the 90s in Oak Grove, Alabama.

The setting presented many struggles to Humphrey, including from the societal expectations, political climate and personal pressures placed on her.

She gravitated towards those authors who reflected her own identity and experiences.

However, Humphrey’s life changed when she met Beverly J. Robinson, an African-American folklorist who introduced her to African American studies.

They met through a Governor’s School summer program at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, which takes highly gifted students to assimilate into colleges over summer break.

“I never knew that you could major in such a field, or African American Studies, so that planted a seed in me when I was about 16 years of age, that one day I want to go to UCLA,” Humphrey said.

Humphrey was the valedictorian of her predominantly white high school, a title some of the students refused to accept.

“They couldn’t believe that an [N-word] was valedictorian,” Humphrey said.

She later attended and graduated from Henderson State University while working long shifts at an air-conditioning company to cover her expenses.

Afterwards, she graduated from the University of Los Angeles, California, with a master’s degree in African-American children’s literature and a doctorate in race and ethnic studies, with an emphasis in critical race theory and Black feminism.

As an educator, she hopes to pass her same passions on to her students.

“I want them to see my passion for teaching African American Studies, Ethnic Studies and Social Justice,” Humphrey said. “I want them to be change agents.”

Humphrey said the message she wants to share from her experiences is that no matter where you start, you can overcome adversity and achieve success.

“Don’t give away your power. Step into your power. Own it. And do not dim your light … just don’t let society shrink you,” she said.