Transgender Day of Remembrance
My name is Cherno Biko and I am a human rights advocate. Earlier this year, when I was appointed to serve as the co-chair of the New York City Council Young Women’s Advisory Council, we launched a campaign titled “She Will Be ______”. All I had to do was fill in the blank and the only thing I felt justified …
The Revolution Will Not Be Overly Conceptualized
I did not attend the recent 20th anniversary celebration of the Million Man March: Justice or Else convening that took place in Washington, DC on October 10, 2015. When asked why I was not attending I asserted “as a Black Queer Woman, it is self care for me to not deliberately put myself in spaces where I am not seen …
What is the state of health and wellness for Black LGBTQ/SGL individuals? What is the path forward for our community’s collective health and wellness?
Leo Moore, MD, MSHPM Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar/UCLA Co-Chair – Los Angeles Chapter of the Black Treatment Advocates Network (BTAN)/Black AIDS Institute Heart disease. Cancer. Strokes. Diabetes. Kidney Disease. Homicide. HIV/AIDS. These are the most important health issues facing Black Americans today and they don’t discriminate based on one’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The current state of health …
How has NBJC impacted you personally and professionally?
Toni-Michelle Williams Internship Coordinator, Solutions NOT Punishment Coalition and the Trans* Leadership Connection Internship Program The 2nd Annual OUT on the Hill Black LGBT Leadership Summit in 2011 was my first LGBT conference and first experience with the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC). I remember it so vividly, because my feet were hurting so bad as I made way to …
What is the value of using an intersectional lens as a leader working to make progress in your community and the nation?
Dr. Van Bailey Inaugural Director, Harvard College BGLTQ Student Life stylist for bklyn boyhood Social Justice Educator and Brown Boi As a leader, it is critical to understand the nuances of intersectionality in our work. My fear is that this theoretical lens is being washed down in our daily rhetoric. While, it is important to understand that we bring multiple …
What is the most pressing political and social justice issue faced by Black LGBTQ/SGL youth?
Gabriel Maldonado CEO/Executive, TruEvolution, Inc. Commissioner, Riverside Human Relations Commission One of the most pressing political and social justice issues facing Black LGBTQ youth is the lack of economic stability and empowerment. We cannot even begin to address systemic and chronic issues of injustice without addressing the injustices in our own homes. Youth without the means to combat poverty, access …
What is the role of Black LGBTQ/SGL emerging leaders in the fight for racial justice and LGBTQ equality?
Monique Dorsainvil Deputy Chief of Staff of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs The White House Serving in President Obama’s administration has given me the opportunity to highlight key issues in the Black LGBT community. Working alongside community leaders, the Office of Public Engagement launched an annual young leaders briefing at the White House that focuses on systemic …