NBJC Marks 10 Years of ‘100 to Watch’ with Relaunch of Groundbreaking Leadership Program
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
This Year’s List Celebrates a New Decade of Queer Trailblazers Shaping the Future of Freedom, Justice, and Innovation
WASHINGTON — Ten years after launching its groundbreaking ‘100 Black LGBTQ+/SGL Emerging Leaders to Watch’ initiative, the National Black Justice Collective (NBJC) is proud to unveil its 2025 Cohort of 100 Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+/Same-Gender Loving (LGBTQ+/SGL) Emerging Leaders to Watch, marking both a milestone anniversary and the organization’s renewed commitment to leadership development under CEO AND Executive Director Dr. David J. Johns.
It comes as Black LGBTQ+/SGL communities face an unprecedented surge of legislative and social attacks: over 850 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced across state legislatures in 2025 alone—the most in U.S. history—alongside federal executive orders erasing transgender recognition and protections, and a 52% spike in hate incidents targeting transgender people. 15,723 documented attacks on the health, education, and economic opportunity of Black people; billions in slashed funding of programs, grants, research, and contracts that addressed historic and continuing exclusions of Black people; and the erasure of Black data and history. At this critical moment, investing in Black LGBTQ+/SGL leadership isn’t optional—it’s essential for community survival and resistance.
Since the program’s 2015 debut, inaugural honorees have proven their power by rising to elected office, founding over twenty transformative organizations, creating groundbreaking art and entertainment, and shaping policy at the highest levels of government and Fortune 500 companies—proving the program’s power to identify and amplify leadership that drives systemic change.
The program’s impact is evident in its alumni: Maryland Delegate Gabriel Acevero became one of the youngest elected officials in his state; Texas Rep. Venton Jones made history as the country’s first openly HIV-positive legislator; Monique Dorsainvil now directs public policy at Meta; Michael Elizabeth leads the Equality Federation’s health policy initiatives; Matthew Rose leads the Human Rights Campaign’s public health initiatives; DeShawn Usher serves as GLAAD’s Senior Director of Communities of Color and Media leading the Queer Creators Summit; Preston D. Mitchum stars on Bravo’s Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard; Joshua E. Nelson co-produced the Netflix documentary, In Our Mothers’ Gardens; Faith Rogers served as the Biden-Harris administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development Chief Operations Officer; Dr. Van Bailey is a trailblazer in higher education and a fashion curator; Ifa/Orisa Priest Trinice Ìyá Fábùnmí McNally founded multiple LGBTQ Centers and initiatives on HBCU campuses and advances spiritual liberation; Toni-Michelle Williams helms Georgia’s Solutions Not Punishment Collective; Ashlee Davis is the global head of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Ancestry; Sixto Cancel founded and leads Think of Us which aims to transform the nation’s foster care system; and Samantha Master trains the next generation of organizers at the legendary Midwest Academy. And now, this fresh group of intergenerational leaders will advance those efforts or usher in new ideas, defining the next decade of progress.
Learn more about the 2025 honorees, explore their stories, and support NBJC’s work to uplift and sustain emerging leadership at https://nbjc.org/100-to-watch/.
These 100 remarkable leaders reflect the beauty of intersectional activism and the resilience of Black LGBTQ+/SGL communities. From championing reparative justice and inclusive education to transforming cultural narratives through art and innovation, this cohort exemplifies what is possible when power is harnessed for a purpose. As LGBTQ+ History Month comes to an end, we are thrilled to announce the leaders who are shaping the future!
Unlike the original program, which focused on leaders ages 18-30, the 2025 cohort removes age restrictions to recognize that ’emerging’ leadership is defined by impact, roles, and trajectory rather than birthdate—acknowledging that Black LGBTQ+/SGL leaders often face systemic barriers that delay traditional career milestones, and opportunities to lead can come at any age.
A sample of those being recognized includes:
- Elected officials such as Georgia State Representative Park Cannon, Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones, Maryland Delegate Ashanti Martinez, Florida State Representative Michele Rayner, former Pinole, CA Mayor Devin T. Murphy, and Prince George’s County, Maryland County Council Chair and Vice Chair Edward Burroughs and Krystal Oriadha;
- Civil and human rights advocates such as our own Monica Roberts Senior Scholar and former executive director of the Trans Visibility March, Hope Giselle-Godsey, Brielle Winslow-Majette, Deputy Executive Director of Garden State Equality, Maya LaFlamme, Co-executive director of the GSA Network, Tanaine Jenkins of Second Sentence Awareness, and Professor Christian Green, a leading organizer for NBJC’s Equity Week and Policy & Advocacy Director at Sanctuary of Hope;
- Healthcare policymakers and advocates such as Mike Brown, who created the mental health podcast The Art of Letting Go, and Candace Bond-Therault, co-founder of the Queering Reproductive Justice Movement;
- Global and international affairs leaders such as senior advisor to the U.S. Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, Reginald Greer, and Glenroy Murray, who leads Jamaica’s LGBTQ+ equality organization J-Flag;
- And many more, such as award-winning recording artist 2AM Ricky, which you can learn about here.
“The program paused during NBJC’s leadership transition as longtime CEO Sharon Lettman-Hicks, who created the initiative in 2015, concluded her tenure in 2023,” said Dr. David J. Johns, CEO and Executive Director of NBJC. “We’re relaunching ‘100 to Watch’ at a moment when Black LGBTQ+/SGL communities face coordinated attacks on our rights, healthcare, and very existence. The leaders we are honoring this year remain boldly in the lineage of our most fearless ancestors, from Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray to Alain Locke. The leaders we honor today aren’t just building the future—they’re defending the present. They’re not waiting for permission to lead. They are transforming the spaces they enter—including policy, culture, business, and art—and building the infrastructure needed for Black LGBTQ+/SGL communities to thrive for generations.”
“This program demonstrates the power of investing early in the leaders who are unapologetically reshaping our collective future,” added Dr. Johns. “The 2025 honorees continue a tradition of excellence, embodying the urgency, creativity, and courage needed to address the challenges of our time, and our communities deserve to see them lifted up and supported as they build the future we all deserve.”If you’re interested in supporting this next group of transformative leaders, engaging in their efforts and work, or helping us identify tomorrow’s changemakers, please donate to NBJC here or email info@nbjc.org.