These dynamos lead some of America’s most influential nonprofit organizations—they are fighting the good fight and their work enriches our lives in countless ways.
An experienced nonprofit manager and self-identified “black queer fat femme activist,” Collette Carter worked as an Audre Lorde Project (ALP) staffer for several years before becoming co-director in 2009. Carter says ALP, which serves as a community organizing center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirit, trans and gender non-conforming people of color, provides essential support and tools for the communities it serves. “I believe at the heart of lasting movement-building is the work of making spaces which help us sustain hope and the possibility for survival, as well as transformation,” Carter says. “The Audre Lorde Project was the first space where I felt I could bring the complexity of my identity, as well as create the space for other people of color to do the same—regardless of age, ability, immigration status, gender expression/ identity or sexual orientation. Collective power is our greatest resource, built on struggling across difference within our communities and side by side with our allies to envision a better future.”