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NBJC in the News

NBJC Calls For Nominations for the 2017-18 Cohort of 100 Black LGBTQ/SGL Emerging Leaders to Watch
October 11, 2016

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), the nation's leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people, is honored to launch the nomination process for the 2017-18 cohort of the 100 Black LGBTQ/SGL Emerging Leaders to Watch (100toWatch). One key pillar to the Emerging Leaders Initiative is the 100 Black LGBTQ/SGL Emerging Leaders to Watch visibility campaign. This group of inspiring leaders will represent a consortium of standout leaders that are ripe with potential and/or deserve a greater platform of exposure.

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NBJC Announces HBCU LGBTQ-Equality Initiative Advisory Council Co-Chairs
September 28, 2016

NBJC is honored to announce its HBCU LGBTQ-Equality Initiative Advisory Council Co-chairs: Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Ph.D of Spelman College and Anika Simpson, Ph.D. of Morgan State University. The Advisory Council was created to advise and assist NBJC in developing a strategic model that conceptualizes the critical path forward to ensure a welcoming, nurturing and affirming environment at HBCUs for the LGBTQ community.

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ElectionsMatter on National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day!
September 27, 2016

Annually on September 27, we pause and focus on what our communities can collectively do to reduce the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) as part of National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 2% of the the US population identifies as gay and bisexual men, but this demographic makes up more than half of the 1.2 million people living with HIV and two-thirds of all new diagnoses, annually, in our nation. If the current trends of new diagnoses continue, 1-in-6 gay and bisexual men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime, including 1-in-2 Black gay and bisexual men. We must act now to change this alarming trend in our communities!

 

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OUT on the Hill Black LGBT Leadership Summit is here!
August 31, 2016


In the age of the Obama presidency, our community has witnessed great progress: the passage of federal hate crimes legislation; the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the implementation of open transgender military service; the Supreme Court upheld marriage equality as the law of the land; and the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Unfortunately, we have also experienced many setbacks: the continued negative impact of the criminal justice system on our communities; the rise of overt racism and nationalist militias; the gutting of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and passage of discriminatory state election laws; and the continued rise of HIV/AIDS in our community. With the conference theme, The Post-Obama Era: What's Next?, this year's #OOTH2016 efforts will be deeply rooted in exploring the triumphs and challenges that we have witnessed during the administration of the first Black President, and work to plot the path forward in a post-Obama era.

REGISTER NOW >>

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Take the Test. Take Control.
June 26, 2016
On Monday, June 27, 2016, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), the nation's leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, will join families and communities across the nation on  National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) to highlight the need for Black America to get tested. On this day, we will unite to raise awareness about the importance of HIV testing and early diagnosis of HIV in order for us to live our healthiest lives. We are reminded that we all have the power to serve as change agents for our loved ones by leading by example and getting tested. As the 2016 NHTD theme implores us to Take the Test. Take Control., we ALL have the opportunity to end the spread of HIV and make a difference!

 

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Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
August 6, 2015

Fifty years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 into law. This historic piece of legislation promised to dismantle the legal barriers that prevented African Americans and other minorities from exercising their right to vote under the U.S. Constitution. By prohibiting racial discrimination in voting practices on every level of government, the Civil Rights Movement achieved one of its primary objectives--all Americans have the right to vote at the ballot box no matter their background.

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Let’s Stop HIV Together: June 27th is National HIV Testing Day
June 26, 2015

Washington, DC – June 26, 2015 – The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), the nation’s leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual and trangender (LGBT) people, joins with the nation every year on National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) to highlight the need for every single American to contribute to the fight to end HIV. NHTD reminds us that we all have the power to serve as change agents in our families and local communities by getting tested, getting into care and ending stigma in our families and communities around HIV/AIDS.  This is our opportunity to ALL make a difference!

 

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Black LGBT Religious Leaders Act with Historically Black Churches: “Black Bodies Matter”
December 11, 2014

Black America faces an unspoken agenda of terror and racism. In response, tens of thousands of historically Black congregations/denominations and allies across the country will be wearing black on December 14, 2014, to protest the criminalization, disproportionate incarceration, and killing of black and brown people by law enforcement. As Black lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) religious leaders, we are all too familiar with oppressive systems that discriminate and kill.

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LGBTQ Organizations Issue An Open Letter: From Ferguson to True Freedom
December 11, 2014

Words cannot begin to describe the depth of feeling we all share about the unfolding tragedies in Ferguson and New York City. Words cannot relieve the suffering of Michael Brown and Eric Garner’s loved ones nor can words alone salve the pain nor quell the anger of millions. It’s action we need and we need it now.
As LGBTQ national organizations, we proudly stand in solidarity with the civil rights organizations and local activists — including the actions of an amazing, fierce, brilliant cadre of youth leaders, many of whom are queer identified — in demanding fundamental systemic change that tackles the root causes of racial and economic injustices once and for all. 

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Recognizing World AIDS Day: A Black Family Call-to-Action to Address the HIV/AIDS Epidemic
December 1, 2014


Since the first cases of HIV were reported over 30 years ago, Black people and our families have been the most impacted. We all carry with us the stories of relatives, friends, neighbors and other loved ones who are no longer with us due to HIV/AIDS. We have collectively allowed stigma, fear and a lack of communication to hinder us from standing up to support our loved ones living with HIV/AIDS. Their cries of despair are ingrained in our memories during a time when most people willingly neglected those living with HIV/AIDS because of ignorance, shame and a lack of compassion. Today, we have made incredible advances in the knowledge and treatment of HIV/AIDS, but too many of us remain silent around the issue. However, our families continue to be the public face of HIV/AIDS.

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