Terrius Harris

Planet Forward FAO Fellow | University of Oklahoma

Terrius Harris was one of four Planet Forward FAO Summer Storytelling Fellows selected to report on sustainable agriculture and food security in 2021. He writes,

"'Our location may be something new, but the inspiration for what grows in us is not.'

I am a graduate student from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Corporate Relations; a Bachelor of General Studies in International Studies, Environmental Studies, & Entrepreneurship; and a Bachelor of Arts in French. I am also a graduate from the University of Oklahoma with a Master's of Legal Studies in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy. Participating in many different professional experiences over the past 5+ years has granted me the ability to be able to summarize my passions in life in three words: Inclusion, Philanthropy, and Sustainability. 

I carry a collection of bandanas on my backpack to embody these beliefs and passions of my life. Within each bandana lies a significant moment of my past, either a place that I have visited, an experience that I have encountered, or a person that has shared their story and chose to add themselves to my collection. In carrying these bandanas on my back, I am sharing the most vulnerable moments of my life and those special people that I have met. These experiences have molded me into the person I am today and have allowed me to become a transparent door open for building new connections.

Within the professional realm I aspire to gain more experience in diplomacy, international law, indigenous peoples relations, environmental justice, wildlife preservation, marketing, and fashion. As I hope to one day work in the business aspect of the fashion industry in an international marketing setting, while also serving as an international diplomatic figure for the rights of indigenous communities and environmental preservation. I recognize that the society in which we live in is a global one and I wish to inspire and challenge this ever changing culture. Therefore, I want to aid in discovering new paths of encouragement for future students by helping cultivate a new world of leaders that are innovative, insightful, and inspiring."