Sharon J. Lettman Named Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition
October 5, 2009
The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and ending racism and homophobia, has appointed Sharon J. Lettman as Executive Director.
“We must bring our families together,” Lettman said. “Gay and transgender people are our children, our brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, parents, co-workers and friends. They are a vital part of the black community, and it is time for everyone to recognize the real issues we all face when our brothers and sisters are denied full participation in the life of our community.”
Lettman’s efforts to advance the conversation of race, religion, and sexual orientation have shown remarkable progress through the African American Religious Affairs Program she led at People For the American Way Foundation that addressed Homophobia in the Black Church. In addition, The Gill Foundation highlighted Lettman in its 2008 annual report as a “key ally” for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) equality movement. She is also on the board of directors for National Stonewall Democrats.
Throughout her career Lettman has been selflessly committed to a vast array of causes to bring about social change. She comes to NBJC after eight years at People For the American Way (PFAW) and People For the American Way Foundation (PFAWF). Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President for Leadership Programs and External Affairs at PFAW and PFAWF. Lettman oversaw the organizations’ dynamic leadership programs, including Young People For, Young Elected Officials Network, and African American Religious Affairs, in addition to the organizations’ engagement with supporters and investors, key constituency groups and coalition allies. Lettman’s belief in religious freedom and the separation of church and state gave her the insight to expand the agenda of the African American Religious Affairs programs which countered right wing efforts in African American communities, especially around LGBT equality.
Lettman began her impressive career as the Executive Director of the Florida Student Association (FSA) and then served as the Director of Communications for the Florida Association of Counties (FAC). Subsequently, she built a successful public affairs firm, P&P Communications. Her clients have included the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the National Education Association (NEA), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and The Schott Foundation for Public Education, among others.
A variety of social justice and civil rights leaders weighed in on Lettman’s appointment to NBJC:
Prominent Civil Rights activist and former chairwoman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights Mary Frances Berry said, “Having witnessed Lettman’s leadership firsthand while she led key initiatives at PFAW, I am certain she has the ability to unify families and our community and succeed in her goal to establish a common ground around black LGBT issues. Her unwavering commitment to social justice will break barriers at the intersection of race, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said, “I am thrilled to welcome Sharon as the new Executive Director of the NBJC. Sharon’s long history working to build bridges between a diverse group of communities will be a skill set that will make our movement stronger. Far too often racism still exists in our society, including in the LGBT community, and if we are going to achieve the equality we strive for- it will be once we all realize that we are brothers and sisters in this struggle. Sharon Lettman is the right person to help all of us realize that we are stronger together than we are divided.”
Founded in 2003, NBJC is America’s only nationwide Black gay civil rights organization and the authoritative source on LGBT issues as they affect Black communities. Lettman resides in the Washington, DC area and recently married a Master Sergeant of the United States Air Force, who returned this past July from a tour of duty in Balad, Iraq.
To see the NBJC’s press release announcing Sharon J. Lettman as Executive Director, click here.
Related Posts:NAACP Supports Repeal of Prop 8
February 24, 2009
As many blogs have noted, over the weekend the NAACP published a statement voicing support for the repeal of California’s Proposition 8. The NAACP’s statement, send out as a press release, was posted in full at Pam’s House Blend:
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People today announced support of measures before the California legislature challenging Proposition 8, which altered the California Constitution to deny same-sex couples the freedom to marry and equal protection under the law.
In a letter to legislative leaders, NAACP national board chair Julian Bond and President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous urged passage of House Resolution 5 and Senate Resolution 7 to put the legislature on record calling for invalidation of Prop. 8 as an improper and dangerous alteration of the California Constitution.
“The NAACP’s mission is to help create a society where all Americans have equal protection and opportunity under the law,” said President Jealous. “Our Mission Statement calls for the ‘equality of rights of all persons.’ Prop. 8 strips same-sex couples of a fundamental freedom, as defined by the California State Supreme Court. In so doing, it poses a serious threat to all Americans. Prop. 8 is a discriminatory, unprecedented change to the California Constitution that, if allowed to stand, would undermine the very purpose of a constitution and courts – assuring equal protection and opportunity for all and safeguarding minorities from the tyranny of the majority.”
SR 7, sponsored by Equality California (EQCA), will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 24th and will proceed to the full Senate for a vote shortly thereafter. Its companion bill, HR 5, also sponsored by EQCA, passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Feb. 17th and is eligible for a vote before the full Assembly as early as today.
The California State Conference of the NAACP filed briefs with the California Supreme Court in the legal challenge against Prop. 8, arguing that the measure drastically alters the equal protection guarantee in California’s Constitution and that the rights of a minority cannot be eliminated by a simple majority vote. Several other civil rights organizations, faith leaders, unions and leading corporations also filed briefs urging the invalidation of Prop. 8.
“The NAACP has long opposed any proposal that would alter the federal or state constitutions for the purpose of excluding any groups or individuals from guarantees of equal protection,” said Chairman Bond. “We urge the legislature to declare that Proposition 8 did not follow the proper protective process and should be overturned as an invalid alteration that vitiated crucial constitutional safeguards and fundamental American values, threatening civil rights and all vulnerable minorities.”
The National Black Justice Coalition (NJBC) spoke to The Advocate about the NAACP’s support:
Alexander Robinson, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, an LGBT rights organization that encouraged this NAACP support, said that the NAACP letter represented forward movement for the 100-year old organization. “It’s consistent in that they have always opposed constitutional bans,” he observed, “but I think that weighing in so clearly on an action that would have the effect of reinstituting marriage given that they still have not taken a position on gay marriage is a significant step forward.”
GLAAD applauds the NAACP, which has been working closely with both the NBJC and Freedom to Marry around this and other LGBT issues. We encourage mainstream media to cover this angle of the Prop 8 story, especially in light of reports that misrepresented and distorted support of Prop 8 by black voters.
Crossroads: The Intersection of Black & LGBT Images
February 13, 2009
With both The Wire and Noah’s Arc now part of television history, there are currently — and depressingly — few on-screen television characters who are both gay and black.
Marcellas Reynolds and Sonja Sohn
On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the NAACP and the 40th NAACP Image Awards, the lack of African American LGBT representation was the crux of a forum hosted in Los Angeles this week by GLAAD and the National Black Justice Coalition. “Knocking Down the Door: Black LGBT Images in Media” was a standing-room only event that took place at the Screen Actors Guild, co-sponsored by SAG’s LGBT Actors Committee and the Beverly Hills/Hollywood Branch of the NAACP.
The evening began with a historical video retrospective of black and LGBT images produced by Deondray Gossett and Quincy LeNear, the creative duo behind The DL Chronicles. The two were also part of the evening’s lively panel discussion alongside actor/director/writer Maurice Jamal (Dirty Laundry, The Ski Trip); performer J. Karen Thomas, founding member of the SAG LGBT Actors Committee; TV personality Marcellas Reynolds; performer and activist Ashley Love, host of the online series LGB to the T; actor and NAACP Image Award nominee Sonja Sohn (The Wire), and Willis Edwards, member of the NAACP National Board of Directors. The event was moderated by Rashad Robinson, GLAAD Senior Director of Media Programs and featured remarks from SAG Interim Executive Director David White and Alice Huffman, President of the California State NAACP.
PSA Featuring Michael & Xavier
The forum explored potential reasons behind the under-representation and how this history of invisibility may have affected voting on California’s Proposition 8. Apropos, the 30-second commercial from GettoKnowUsFirst.org featuring the African American family headed by Michael and Xavier was shown to the audience. The spot ran in California television markets during the inauguration, Super Bowl, and the NAACP Image Awards. The absence of these kind of images on television, the panelists suggested, makes the idea of someone being gay and black something foreign and strange to many in the African American community. “Most communication is non-verbal. Whether it’s in a film or on TV or in a commercial, we’re very affected by what we see,” said panelist J. Karen Thomas. “So just by having an image of a black gay, bisexual or lesbian, it alters your awareness and your imagination of what can be possible.”
The panelists agreed that African American representation, LGBT or not, is influential. “When I first saw A Different World and The Cosby Show, I thought, ‘I can go to college,’” admitted Deondray Gossett. “These images really affected the way I thought about the future. I think these images are absolutely essential. If it’s done well, TV can shape young minds.”
"Knocking" panel audience
Featuring black LGBT representation provides a necessary and accurate reflection of the African American community. The panelists, like GLAAD, understand the impact the entertainment industry has on America and the world, and all are working to not only help the industry understand that responsibility, but to realize that diversity and inclusion is also good business.
