2025 Honorees
Join the National Black Justice Collective (NBJC) for a powerful celebration of courage, resilience, and revolutionary impact at the 5th annual James Baldwin Legacy Awards on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at 1 p.m. EST. This signature event illuminates the extraordinary contributions of iconic Black Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer+/Same-Gender Loving (GBTQ+/SGL) men and masculine elders who have fearlessly blazed trails, shattered barriers, and transformed entire fields while paving the way for future generations.
Experience this transformative tribute live on October 1st at 1 p.m. ET on this webpage, or engage directly with the celebration on Facebook and YouTube, where your live comments may be featured during each honoree’s powerful segment. This is more than an awards ceremony—it’s a living testament to the enduring legacy of those who refused to be silenced and chose to lead with authenticity, brilliance, and unwavering determination.
The honorees this year include (in alphabetical order):
Donald Bell
Donald Bell embodies five decades of unwavering activism as a gay Black third-generation Chicagoan who has fought on every major social justice front—from civil rights and gay liberation to labor organizing and anti-war movements—while dedicating nearly 40 years as an election judge, as a founding commissioner of the Illinois State Commission on LGBT Aging, and a driving force behind One Roof Chicago's intergenerational LGBTQ+ housing development.
Sean Ebony Coleman
Sean Ebony Coleman made history as the first Black transgender person to own and operate an LGBTQ center when he founded Destination Tomorrow in the Bronx in 2009 which has since expanded to Atlanta and D.C. Through his consulting work with major corporations like Unilever and Lululemon, combined with his deep roots in ballroom culture and expertise in nonprofit leadership, this 55-year-old Brooklyn native bridges grassroots advocacy with corporate responsibility.
Dr. Randall Miller
Dr. Randall Miller is a philanthropic powerhouse, leveraging his executive roles at the Arcus Foundation, Borealis Philanthropy, Tides, and the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Foundation to channel tens of millions of dollars directly into Black and faith-based LGBTQ+/SGL organizing and leadership initiatives. This seasoned nonprofit leader with over twenty-five years of senior management experience has fundamentally reshaped how major foundations invest in social and economic justice for marginalized communities. His leadership also helped make the movement to make the United Methodist Church an affirming denomination possible.
Harold Phillips, MRP
Harold Phillips, MRP, has dedicated his career to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States. He is currently serving as the Deputy Director of Programs at NMAC, previously holding the position of Director at The White House's Office of National AIDS Policy. Before that, he worked at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as Director, Chief Operating Officer, Principal Consultant, and Director of Technical Assistance. Mr. Phillips also played a pivotal role in the U.S. government’s response to COVID-19, MPOX, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections.
Malcolm Reid
Malcolm Reid, lovingly known as "Black Atlanta's Gay Uncle," has transformed his retirement into a powerful mission of creating affirming spaces for HIV-positive elders such as the Unity Arc Advocacy Group, the groundbreaking Silver Lining Project to help Black men over 50 navigate aging, trauma, loss, and stigma while empowering them as fierce political advocates. In his role as coalition co‑chair and federal policy chair for the People Living With HIV Caucus, he’s worked to modernize HIV disclosure laws and end stigma.
Bishop Joseph Tolton, MBA
Bishop Joseph Tolton, MBA, is the Founder and President of Interconnected Justice and a Global Faith Leader with The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries. His work boldly defies religious and political boundaries by building LGBTQIA+ inclusive churches in African countries with severe anti-LGBTQ+ laws, including the groundbreaking Rehoboth Temple Christ Conscious Church in Kenya and Uganda.
Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington
Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington founded the Social Justice Training Institute and is a transformative force at the intersection of faith, education, and social justice. He is an ordained minister and pastor who has redefined inclusive and equitable leadership across higher education, corporate, and nonprofit sectors, while championing the Black LGBTQ+/SGL community through his pastoral work at Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore. Rev. Dr. Washington served as a past President of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and the Assistant Vice President at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.