RiseOut: Activist-in-Residence Fellowship Program
2021 RiseOut Fellow Dominic Bradley presenting their demo video on developing a personal wellness plan.
The Center seeks to contribute to the social justice movement by investing in the next generation of leaders who are committed to transforming social and economic conditions, and to advancing equity and opportunity for the LGBTQ community in New York. In its second year, the RiseOut Activist-in-Residence fellowship program intentionally supports Black LGBTQ New Yorkers as fellows. It was created in connection with RiseOut, The Center’s statewide LGBTQ advocacy initiative.
Through this program, The Center provides support to established or emerging activists who leverage new models for achieving change, or carry established methods of change forward in an innovative way. Fellows’ projects highlight underrepresented communities and align with the main focus areas of RiseOut, including:
- The advancement of equity and inclusion for transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary people of color
- Increased access to LGBTQ+ affirming mental and physical health services
- Promoting restorative justice principles
- Enhancing LGBTQ visibility and affirmation across sectors
- Economic justice and advancement opportunities
The RiseOut Activist-in-Residence fellowship program is made possible due to generous charitable donations from Susie Scher/Goldman Sachs Gives and Jan Siegmund.
Benefits for Activists
Activists-in-Residence receive a range of benefits for their fellowship work:
- A stipend of $15,000 to support their work over the course of 12 months, as well as basic technical supplies to engage in the work
- Engagement with the RiseOut program team, including attending civic engagement- and advocacy-related events and trainings
- Participation in relevant conferences, training, and networking opportunities such as Creating Change, Netroots Nation, and others
- Connections to key Center partners across a range of sectors and industries
- Access to professional development opportunities offered to full-time staff of The Center
- As appropriate, assistance from Center staff on other aspects of the approved project
- Monthly check-ins with RiseOut program team to build camaraderie and support for execution of project
- For NYC-based activists, office space at The Center of up to 10 hours per week as needed, with IT access and resources, to support the development of their work
2022 FELLOWS
Jodi Nicole
Born in Jamaica and bred in New York, Jodi Nicole (they/them) is a cultural organizer and visual storyteller. Their fellowship project will focus on the creation of a chapbook entitled From the Frontlines, which will feature photographs from various demonstrations, marches, and rallies alongside stirring benedictions.
Marwa Eltahir
Marwa Eltahir (she/her) is a Sudanese-American writer, organizer, and producer who explores stories of movement across Black social and political identities. Marwa’s fellowship project will present a series of events titled “Our Political Home,” connecting local Black African LGBTQ+ and GNC communities through story-sharing.
2021 FELLOWS
Dominic Bradley
Dominic Bradley (they/them) is a Brooklyn-based nonbinary artist and educator reared in the crunk-era “Dirty South.” Dominic works in multiple disciplines including visual art, writing, and performance. Dominic’s project focused on the support of BIPOC LGBTQ New Yorkers through innovative mental health supports, including a demo video on developing a personal wellness plan; an adult coloring book featuring images of BIPOC LGBTQ New Yorkers alongside personalized mental health affirmations; and a panel with community members uncovering transgenerational beliefs, practices, rituals, etc. that have sustained mental health in the face of oppression.
Joshua Allen
Joshua Allen (they/them) is a nonbinary artist & activist from Brooklyn, NY. In 2016, they founded the Black Excellence Collective, an organizing hub for and by Black LGBTQI+ young people, and served as a co-organizer and co-host of the 2020 Brooklyn Liberation March. Joshua’s work focused on a youth mentorship program for Black TGNC and queer youth that launched on Monday, August 23. Mentees received a $1,500 stipend for their participation for 6 weeks (through September 29).