NBJC Emancipation Campaign

You know that I have been down with the mission of the National Black Justice Coalition throughout the life of this blog and have much love for the organization.. 

I have met and talked with Executive Director Sharon Lettman-Hicks on different occasions, met with many of the NBJC board members past and present, had the pleasure of attending, chronicling   and taking part in the 2011 and 2012 OUT on the Hill events and was honored to be a participant in their all day NBJC Black Institute at this year's Creating Change Conference in my hometown. 

And I'm hoping I can make it back to DC for this year's 5th annual edition of OUT on the Hill September 24-27

Now that NBJC is moving into its second decade of service to our community since its 2003 founding, it is seeking to become more self sufficient and rely more on the people they serve to fund it instead of foundations.

The NBJC Emancipation Campaign is seeking to raise $500,000 in order to do precisely that.

While they will continue to seek out grants, NBJC believes that in order to truly own our power and emancipate ourselves, the organization needs to be funded predominately by the African-American LGBT people and allies it serves, with the grants acting as supplements to the money they raise from the community and supporters.. 

NBJC in the last ten plus years has been on Capitol Hill and in movement leadership circles serving our Black LGBTQ/SGL community. 

They are unapologetically pointing out because of the way the forces of bias based on race, sexual orientation, and gender identity intersect in our community, it makes Black LGBTQ/SGL people and their families one of the most marginalized groups in America.

NBJC has been grooming our emerging LGBT leaders, pushing economic empowerment issues and laser focused on issues from our perspective such as HIV/AIDS, employment non-discrimination, safe and inclusive schools, transgender equality, Don't Ask Don't Tell, HBCU's and marriage equality

And NBJC has not hesitated to call out injustice aimed at our Black TBLGQ/SGL community

As far as the transgender equality portion of their mission goes, NBJC has been one of the few inside the beltway organizations to capitalize the 'T and seek our input on the issues and problems that plague our community.

The NBJC is worth the investment, and I hope you believe in their work as much as I do to invest in it as I will happily do once again because I want and would like for this Emancipation Campaign to be successful.