The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is a left-of-center organization that advocates against racism, homophobia, and “LGBTQ+/SGL bias and stigma”; for black LGBT, “queer+, and same gender loving (LGBTQ+/SGL)” people; and those with HIV/AIDS through advocacy, research, and education. The group sees itself as the “leading national black LGBTQ+ civil rights organization focused on federal public policy” and promotes participation in every election at every level. ^{1 2}

NBJC supports specific policies, including expanding the legal definition of “family” to include “chosen family,” using federal Medicaid funding to “support the mental health of every child in school,” mandating “inclusive, culturally competent” teacher training programs, and banning questions about criminal records from job applications. ³

Advocacy

Florida Curriculum

In 2023, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) called for the resignation of College Board chief executive officer David Coleman following reports that the body met multiple times with Florida officials before unveiling changes to its AP African American Studies curriculum. ⁴

NBJC executive director David Johns claimed the College Board “actually worked to cater that curricula [sic] to their political beliefs and attachment to white nationalism, [which] is deeply disturbing” and accused the body of having “not only catered to, coordinated with, and then capitulated to the [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis Administration, but then also attempted to cover it up with collusion makes matters worse.” ⁵

Target Pride Merchandise Controversy

In June 2023, NBJC joined a coalition of other LGBT advocacy organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign and National LGBTQ Task Force in listing demands for Target and the business community “to reject and speak out against anti-LGBTQ+ extremism going into Pride Month.” Target had come under fire for “tuck friendly” clothing designed for trans women, which they removed from shelves after critics claimed the clothing was meant for children. ⁶

FedWatch

NBJC participates in FedWatch, a network of groups “that nerd out on creating change by any means necessary,” through which it aims to pique the interest of “Black LGBTQ+/same gender loving people” in regulatory policy. ⁷

Equality Act

NBJC also advocates for the passage of the federal Equality Act, specifically for the next iteration of the bill to provide for “the ability to seek justice regarding discrimination that is the result of combined identities, like being both Black and LGBTQ+/SGL.” In addition, it advocates for U.S. Congress to extend the deadline to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, which the group believes would “essentially add LGBTQ people into the US constitution.” ⁸

Civil and Human Rights

NBJC supports “restorative justice sentencing” and voting rights restoration for felons; expanding the definition of family to include “chosen family;” ensuring kids in the child welfare system have access to same-sex parents; and providing more student loan relief, including for students with disabilities. ⁹

“Technology Justice”

NBJC supports protections and privacy for consumers on the Internet, including the use of mobile apps; mandates for tech companies to only use unbiased algorithms; and “mental health protections for youth and others vulnerable to attacks on social media.” ¹⁰

Education and Workforce Development

NBJC supports allocating federal Medicaid funding for the mental health of every child in school, banning questions regarding criminal history in job applications, decreasing police presence in schools, increasing funding for mental and behavioral health therapists and programs, and prohibiting “cannabis testing of employees or prospective employees when there is no evidence of use during work hours.” ¹¹

Health and Wellness

NBJC supports prohibiting “conversion therapy” for children and dependent adults; mandating “inclusive, culturally competent teacher training programs”; preventing the “criminalization” of HIV/AIDS and increasing access to prophylactic medications; increasing research for “LGBTQ+-inclusive reproductive healthcare”; collecting long COVID and intersectional health data to determine disparities; implementing comprehensive and “inclusive” sex education; supporting black maternal mortality prevention measures; and providing abortion access. ¹²

People

Leadership

David Johns is the executive director of National Black Justice Coalition based in Washington, D.C. ¹³ The board chair is Darryl Moore; Benjamin L. Crump, Marcus Hunter, Courtney Snowden, and Lauren Mims are the other board members. ¹⁴

Johns was appointed by then-President Barack Obama as the first executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, a position he held from 2013 to 2017. ¹⁵

Sharon Lettman-Hicks

Sharon Lettman-Hicks was listed on National Black Justice Coalition’s 2022 tax forms as “principal officer” and chief executive officer, but as of March 2024, she was not listed on the website. ¹⁶

Federal prosecutors charged Lettman-Hicks and former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) with 19 counts of wire fraud and one count of attempt and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. ¹⁷ The government alleged that beginning in 2015, Lettman-Hicks allegedly helped Gillum funnel money solicited from FBI agents posing as real estate developers for something “very significant in return” for Gillum’s support of real estate developers in his role at the time as mayor of Tallahassee, according to the Washington Blade. ¹⁸

A 2023 trial found Gillum not guilty of making false statements to the FBI and failed to reach a jury verdict on the other counts. The government dropped the remaining charges in mid-May of that year. ¹⁹

Financials

The National Black Justice Coalition reported a total revenue of $2,406,868 in 2022 and total expenses of $1,696,879 in 2022. ²⁰

1. “About US,” NBJC, accessed March 22, 2024, https://nbjc.org/nbjcabout-us/.
2. “National Black Justice Coalition Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer,” ProPublica, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/200667808/202301359349301920/full
3. “NBJC Voter Hub,” NBJC, https://nbjc.org/nbjc-voter-hub_/.
4. Arrman Kyaw, “National Black Justice Coalition Calls for College Board CEO to Resign after Reports of Meetings with Florida Officials before Release of African American Studies Course Revisions,” Diverse, February 10, 2023, https://www.diverseeducation.com/leadership-policy/article/15306693/national-black-justice-coalition-calls-for-college-board-ceo-to-resign-after-reports-of-meetings-with-florida-officials-before-release-of-african-american-studies-course-revisions.
5. Arrman Kyaw, “National Black Justice Coalition Calls for College Board CEO to Resign after Reports of Meetings with Florida Officials before Release of African American Studies Course Revisions,” Diverse, February 10, 2023, https://www.diverseeducation.com/leadership-policy/article/15306693/national-black-justice-coalition-calls-for-college-board-ceo-to-resign-after-reports-of-meetings-with-florida-officials-before-release-of-african-american-studies-course-revisions.
6. Matthew Impelli, “LGBTQ+ Organizations Give Target a List of Demands amid Boycott,” Newsweek, August 8, 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/lgbtq-organizations-give-target-list-demands-amid-boycott-1804596
7. Regulatory updates from our friends at FedWatch, https://nbjc.org/regulatory-updates-from-our-friends-at-fedwatch/.
8. “NBJC Policy Agenda _.” NBJC. Accessed April 17, 2024. https://nbjc.org/nbjc-policy-agenda/.
9. “NBJC Voter Hub,” NBJC, https://nbjc.org/nbjc-voter-hub_/.
10. “NBJC Voter Hub,” NBJC, https://nbjc.org/nbjc-voter-hub_/.
11. “NBJC Voter Hub,” NBJC, https://nbjc.org/nbjc-voter-hub_/.
12. “NBJC Voter Hub,” NBJC, https://nbjc.org/nbjc-voter-hub_/.
13. “NBJC Executive Director/CEO,” NBJC, https://nbjc.org/nbjc-executive-director/.
14. “Darryl Moore.” NBJC. Accessed April 9, 2024. https://nbjc.org/nbjc-board-chair/.
15. “Former CBCF Fellow David Johns Appointed to White House Staff,” April 23, 2013, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, https://www.cbcfinc.org/press-releases/former-cbcf-fellow-david-johns-appointed-to-white-house-staff/.
16.  “National Black Justice Coalition Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer,” ProPublica,  https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/200667808/202301359349301920/full.
17.  Lou Chibbaro Jr., “Jury Deadlocked in Trial of National Black Justice Coalition CEO,” Washington Blade, May 5, 2023, https://www.washingtonblade.com/2023/05/05/sharon-lettman-hicks-trial-deadlocked/.
18.  Lou Chibbaro Jr., “Jury Deadlocked in Trial of National Black Justice Coalition CEO,” Washington Blade, May 5, 2023, https://www.washingtonblade.com/2023/05/05/sharon-lettman-hicks-trial-deadlocked/.
19. WTXL Digital Staff. “Federal Judge Grants Motion to Dismiss Federal Indictment against Gillum, Lettman-Hicks.” WTXL ABC 27 Tallahassee News, May 16, 2023. https://www.wtxl.com/news/local-news/federal-judge-grants-motion-to-dismiss-federal-indictment-against-gillum-lettman-hicks
20. “National Black Justice Coalition Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer,” ProPublica,  https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/200667808/202301359349301920/full.