#IAmAHumanRightsDefender

Abusana makes Maine a better place with every passing season. Co-founder and Program Director of, In Her Presence, a non-profit focused on empowering immigrant women, she has dedicated her time to strengthening Maine's immigrant families. Born in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Abusana immigrated to the U.S. in 1996 and later arrived in Portland, Maine in 2009.

Her remarkable ability to empower immigrant women and students by providing them with the tools necessary for success transforms families from the inside out. By bridging cultural gaps where they were missing, Abusana has created scaffolding for immigrant families to thrive during a transition that puts a strain on every facet of family life and threatens their ability to survive.

Aishah is a childhood sexual violence survivor and award-winning documentary filmmaker and author who has dedicated the past 30 years of her career to lifting the veil on the systems that perpetuate gender-based violence, particularly in African American communities in the United States. 

She has utilized both her lived experiences and the stories of others to catalyze conversations about how race, gender, and culture intersect to silence victims and perpetuate gender-based violence in societal institutions. In her 2006 film, NO! The Rape Documentary, and more recently in her anthology, love WITH accountability: digging up the roots of child sexual abuse, Aishah amplifies the voices of Black women, including survivors and advocates, as they discuss the particular barriers faced by those from marginalized communities in speaking out and seeking justice following victimization.

“Love, for me, is a verb—an action—and I continuously strive to be the embodiment of what I want to womanifest in this work.”

Arabella (DSW, MSW, LCSW) is an Assistant Clinical Professor and the Trauma Informed Certificate Coordinator at the University of New England School of Social Work. She has been a champion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racist education work for years, and some of her most recent efforts have been with the National Association of Social Work.

Here, along with her team, Arabella has been authoring position and policy statements about the value of DEI work.

For the NASW, Arabella has helped to create tools and resources to ensure that DEI and anti-racist work can be used as a foundation for meaningful action. This can be a challenge, but Arabella and her team seek to recognize the ways that social work can reach its full potential for helping those who are the most vulnerable, while striving to overcome systemic challenges and historic pitfalls of inequity.

As a second-generation Mexican American, Bruce is the Executive Director of Maine Boys to Men, and was the former Co-Executive Director of Maine Inside Out. Bruce's lived experience as a previously incarcerated individual provides him with the insight critical to building connection and promoting healing for the people and communities he interacts with.

Prior to joining MIO, Bruce worked in the fields of substance abuse disorder and recovery, mentoring and coaching multicultural youth and community building. Most recently, Bruce worked for Community Concepts as a workforce development counselor in downtown Lewiston, ME. 

Bruce also serves on the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations. In this role, Bruce is able to work with Maine's government to address disparate treatment of marginalized ethnic groups and actualize racial justice.

Christina is a mujer, migrante and the seed of strong, resilient, survivor women. She is committed to building up the collective power of Afro and Indigenous Latinx peoples.

She is interested in digging into what it means to truly believe, embody and practice horizontal leadership, to see nuestra gente in their full humanity, dignity, and brilliance - especially when it doesn't fit white supremacy's molds. She brings the struggles, wisdom and lessons learned from farmworker communities she's organized with into her work, as well as the too often invisibilized indigenous mujeres, and her family's immigrant story, fire, hope and love.

As a graduate from the University of Southern Maine in 2010, with a Bachelor's Degree In Political Science, and GCTS in 2019 with a Master of Divinity, Dustin had been engaged in ministry work as a Pastor. Despite experiencing many levels and aspects of racism, in school, church, and other surroundings, the death of George Floyd at the hands of police sparked Dustin's decision to step away from ministry and pursue advocacy for BIPOC communities. His passion is towards ending systemic racism and in being a change agent for the lives of black and brown men and women in the communities of Maine and New England. This led him to connect with Mindbridge, where he became an Implicit Bias Educator.

While Dustin has moved on from his work with Mindbridge, he has continued his work in many different areas of his own community. Anyone who has met Dustin knows that this is typical of him: he’s always moving, dreaming, thinking, planning, and creating!

Emma was the 2022 Mindbridge Media Intern. While with Mindbridge, she worked to share our concepts in ways that encouraged learning and a connection with our community. Connection is key, and Emma has a passion and talent for it:

Emma also works within her local community in her time away from Mindbridge, and is focused on challenges faced by New England’s workforce:

“We are trying to figure out how to support the community around us. How do we outreach to them? How can we support them in other ways? …Now we're trying to figure out how we can carry that on in changing times: really supporting the local community as living in a tourism-based economy. How to find that balance…And I think for myself, personally, it's also taking time to maybe learn about where I'm from. ”

Emma is an director at Preble Street of Florence House Women's Shelter.

Emma ws also a 2022-2023 Shaw Innovation Fellow at the University of Southern Maine, researching barriers to emergency contraception on college campuses in Maine and finding ways to decrease / remove these barriers across the state. 

Not only does Emma have an impressive resume in this field, they are a passionate, astounding advocate for justice. Emma is the definition of a Human Rights Defender and their dedication to this work reminds any of those working alongside them why it’s so important.

Fowsia is the Executive Director of Maine Community Integration and a Community Health Outreach Worker at Healthy Androscoggin. In addition to her work with MCl, she is a member of the Pine Tree Youth Organization board, president of the Neighborhood Housing League, board member of the 21st Century after school program in Lewiston High School Program. Fowsia immigrated from Ethiopia to the United States in 1993 at the age of 12.

Inspired by her early life experiences, she has spent years acting as a community leader and her work has often centered around connecting new Mainers to their neighbors and to desperately needed resources.

Currently, this includes her Strong Girls program which helps new and established Maine girls alike to build skills that range from cooking and sewing to careers in technology and science.

To learn more about Fowsia, check out this Maine Public article.

Gia Drew (she/her) has been the Executive Director at EqualityMaine since 2012, whose mission is to protect and advance full equality for LGBTQ+ Mainers by creating an inclusive and intersectional movement through political action, community building, education, and collaboration. Gia also currently serves as board chair of the Equality Federation and as a trustee for the Maine Health Access Foundation. 

Gia is a recognized community activist and political leader here in Maine as well as a powerful voice for trans rights across the country. Gia previously served on the Maine advisory board for the US Commission on Civil Rights, board president for Maine Transgender Network, and was a high school teacher and coach for 20 years. During her time in education, Gia transitioned on the job, becoming the first out transgender public school teacher in Maine and one of the first trans high school athletic coaches in the country. Born in Boston, Gia has called Maine home for 25 years.

In her work as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Educator, Dr. Steele has over 20 years of experience exploring issues of race, ethnicity, and culture. As the owner of Kalamazoo Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy (PLLC), Dr. Steele foci include culturally competent clinical practice, cognitive-behavioral therapy, as well as Black liberation and wellness.

She also contributes to the growing body of knowledge in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as an Author and Speaker. Her recent book Racism and African American Mental Health is now available. 

“Let’s be clear. Diversity, equity, and inclusion affect everyone. When practices that promote these principles are lacking, morale, retention, creativity, productivity, and overall health and wellness decline. The entire organization suffers and individuals who are affected by social inequities may even experience psychological harm.” 

To learn more about Dr. Steele’s work, visit www.janeesteele.com

Janiece is an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, educator, and the CEO and Lead Consultant of The Answer Group Consulting—a strategy and culture firm that helps purpose-driven people and organizations move from idea to execution.

With a deep commitment to human-centered leadership, Janiece partners with nonprofits such as AIRIE, SPHINX LEAD, and Art Prevails Project to design equity-rooted programming, build sustainable infrastructure, and amplify impact in communities historically excluded from traditional systems of power. She also serves as Board Chair for New Canon Chamber Collective and Board Secretary for Blacks in I/O Psychology—roles that reflect her commitment to cultivating spaces where Black excellence, creativity, and scholarship are seen, valued, and sustained.

Born and raised in South Florida, Janiece is a builder, a mirror, and a believer—someone who shows up in every room with a heart to serve, a mind to strategize, and a calling to help others remember who they are.

Joanne has dedicated a lifetime in service to human rights. With over 30 years of experience, she’s been a formidable champion of the people, defending women against domestic violence, protecting reproductive freedoms, and securing our right toward choice. Joanne currently serves on the Board of Director of Planned Parenthood/Maine Action Fund and the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, where she continues to spend her time protecting the rights of Mainers. Joanne describes her professional life as a community-based advocate and political lobbyist as one that has been bridged by leaps of faith. She has trailblazed a path for people in Maine to live and feel free. Joanne plans to help future generations of Mainers live within the sweet spot between ‘doing good’ and ‘doing well’. 

As Equality Florida’s Senior Political Director, Joe leads the policy and political programs for the country’s largest state-based LGBTQ rights organization.

A student of the movement for LGBTQ rights, Joe began his career in progressive politics as an activist at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Since then he has led ballot measure campaigns to preserve LGBTQ protections, won local policy campaigns protecting millions of Floridians from discrimination, and held senior roles in the fight to win marriage equality in FL.

In 2012, Joe was elected to the Florida House of Representatives becoming the first LGBTQ state lawmaker in Florida to take the oath of office. As a state representative, Joe served as the lead sponsor of the “Competitive Workforce Act”, legislation that would finally ban discrimination against LGBTQ Floridians.

Following his tenure in the Florida House, Saunders joined the staff of the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization. In this role he managed legislative and election programs in fourteen states, holding leadership positions in civil rights campaigns across the Southern U.S.

A nationally recognized progressive leader and strategist, in 2016 Joe was honored by Out Magazine as part of the “Out 100” list of national LGBTQ leaders and is a regular commentator in national and state press outlets

Meet Johanna, a dedicated 4th-grade educator who centers social-emotional learning, justice, and inclusion in and outside of the classroom.

In the classroom, Johanna builds a foundation of respect amongst her students. She prioritizes building strong character with empathetic understanding within her diverse classroom. Throughout her lessons, she infuses social justice and inclusion, inviting kiddos to ask hard questions about the world around them through age-appropriate activities.

Outside of the classroom, Johanna is the co-director of Camp Echo Bridge, a summer day camp that brings together kids of all abilities for adventure and fun. Here, she creates a unique space where neurodivergent and neurotypical kids learn, play, and work together in a setting where everyone belongs. Year-round, Johanna works with Newton Athletes Unlimited, a recreation program for kids and adults with special needs, empowering people of all ages through movement, connection, and joy.

José Garth (he/they) is a dedicated advocate for equity, justice, and community healing. As the founder and lead consultant of YOUniversal Education Services, José leads initiatives that center the health, empowerment, and development of historically marginalized communities, particularly Black youth and families in the Greater Pittsburgh Area.

With over two decades of experience spanning childcare, comprehensive sex education, violence prevention, and workforce development, José’s approach is deeply rooted in healing-centered and relationship-based practices. Their work consistently prioritizes the well-being and liberation of Black communities, guiding both youth and adult facilitators through transformative programs that create lasting impact.

Passionate about building safer, more just communities, José continues to champion youth development, racial equity, and systems change through every project they touch. Outside of their professional life, they find joy in nature, theatre, tabletop games, family time, and their lovable golden retriever, Gus. They remain committed to dreaming and creating spaces of refuge and healing for all marginalized people.

Krysten is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Education within the University of New England’s College of Arts & Sciences (CAS).

A former elementary educator, she teaches multiple undergraduate courses to aspiring Maine K-12 educators, including Trauma Responsive Education. Krysten strongly believes in the importance of focusing on the socioemotional needs of schoolchildren to create safe and inclusive learning environments. At the forefront of this work is how to educate the whole child, and recognize signs of trauma. 

“I feel like I am on a mission to share the message that we all have an innate need to belong.  As the adults in the room, it is our responsibility to create an environment where every child is supported, valued, and celebrated for who they are. This is what I try to model for my students and the message I instill in them;  they are enough just as they are” 

Meet Lawrence, a dedicated advocate for access, inclusion, and belonging in schools, corporations, and non-profits. His impactful work in Maine’s public schools served as a potent inspiration for Mindbridge's Program Manager, instilling confidence and rekindling a fierce commitment to Human Rights work.

Lawrence is often quoted saying, "You free people when you improve inequitable systems. Win people, not arguments." He believes that we are all part of the solution, and through this, he encourages collaboration and shared responsibility by placing people at the forefront. 

His journey includes a decade as a Director of College Counseling in public and independent schools before transitioning into Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work, both within schools and as a consultant. In the last three years, he has set the gold standard in retained search and DEIB consulting for associations, boards, school leaders, and college admissions teams. His work has now extended to the corporate sector as well as efforts with the NFL and FanDuel.

Maulian comes from this easternmost reach of North America – Wabanaki or “Dawnland,” Indian Island to be specific. Somewhere around 500 generations of her Wabanaki relatives preceded her and traversed this landscape along these waterways, a lineage many of us can hardly imagine. From her earliest memories of strong grandmothers to her own force-of-nature father, former Penobscot Chief Barry Dana, Ambassador Bryant cut her teeth on the defense of human rights.

Sparked into activism as a teenager by racist team slogans and mascots, Maulian saw how Native American costumes, makeup imitating war paint, and stereotypical war cries reflected a deeper, more systemic problem. In her first year as ambassador, Maulian led Maine’s eventual ban on the use of Native American mascots in public schools and legislation that replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day.

When she became the first appointed Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador, Maulian folded activism into her work writing policy and shifting the tide of state-tribal relations. Now, while raising two teen girls and a toddler, she works broadly toward land rights, water rights, missing and murdered indigenous women, and tribal sovereignty.

Mindy Spitzer has been an activist in the women's and lesbian movements since the age of 17 - she is now 71. She first started working on a peer-staffed lesbian switchboard in the Greenwich Village section of New York City by her 18th birthday. She also volunteered at The NY Women's Center and was a member of The Gay Activist Alliance, and Lesbian Feminist Liberation. 

In 1975, after graduating radiologic technology training, she moved to Miami and jumped right into the lesbian and feminist communities. She joined The National Organization for Women (NOW), traveling all over the state educating women on lesbian issues within the feminist community. 

She has continued her work throughout the years and expanded to other causes of equal importance. She has worked with Black Lives Matter, various political campaigns, conducted workshops, and attended the 2017 Women's March on Washington. While a Women's Studies major at FIU, she participated in many of the campus clubs and events related to activism.

In today's political climate, she continues her work on equality for all. She believes now more than ever that there is so much work still to be done and plans on always being part of the change.

Nick is the Founder and Executive Director of Jacaranda Health, and has had a long career in the non-profit world and is no stranger to international causes. Jacaranda Health has reached over 1 million pregnant women & mothers in Kenya. In addition to this, they’ve engaged “thousands of frontline nurses across 1,000+ of the country’s busiest public hospitals.” Their solutions are designed to be “customizable and replicable, allowing us to scale to a critical mass of public hospitals and sustainably improve the quality of maternal and newborn care.” 

The son of diplomats, Nick traveled the world from a young age and was exposed to many diverse experiences and peoples, giving him a unique perspective on the impact of NGOs in local communities. In 2010 he founded Jacaranda Health and began working to create not only a flourishing clinic to serve reproductive health, but technology and tools to help both patients and healthcare providers. 

To Nick, the question wasn’t simply, “how do we save more lives?” but “how do we empower the community to care for itself long-term?”

In addition to his work with Jacaranda Health, Nick also holds an Adjunct Faculty position at Duke University’s Duke Global Health Institute.

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Shana Wilson is the oldest of many siblings—an experience that naturally shaped her heart for helping others, building empathy, and forming strong, healthy connections. From a young age, she felt drawn to working with youth, but rather than heading straight into education, Shana pursued the legal field, earning dual bachelor's degrees in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies from Florida Gulf Coast University. 

Through internships with family, juvenile, and criminal court systems, she gained invaluable insight into the lives of young people navigating incredibly complex and unique circumstances. Eventually, her path led to social work, where Shana deepened her commitment to youth advocacy and leadership. 

“Now entering my sixth year as a teacher, I’ve taught students from 6th to 12th grade in subjects like History, Critical Thinking, and Law Studies. Every day in the classroom reaffirms that this is the most meaningful work I’ve ever done. My upbringing, education, and career have all come full circle—each experience adding to my ability to not just teach, but truly connect with and empower the next generation” 

A Chicago native born on the crossroads of working-class, Black and female, Shay's career since 1997 has focused on weaving these intersections into her daily life and professional work.

Since the mid-1990s, Shay has worked in the non-profit sector, during the earlier years working primarily with marginalized groups and in the later years focusing on non-profit administration working both as an Executive Director at a small faith-based non-profit in Southern Maine and since 2014, as the Executive Director of Community Change Inc, a Boston based anti-racism organization that since 1968 has promoted racial justice and equity by challenging systemic racism and acting as a catalyst for anti-racist learning and action.

Shay is also a  prolific blogger at her award-winning blog Black Girl in Maine, where race is a major theme but also daily life as a Black, middle-aged woman in a world where these traits frequently are not valued. Shay is a  graduate of both DePaul University and Antioch University New England.

Since 2021, Tam has served as the Executive Director of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center. She is the first BIPOC leader of the organization, former participant in the Diversity of Leadership Institute, and the youngest board member in the organization's history.

Tam grew up in Winthrop, a small community in central Maine, where her family of Polish and Vietnamese descent had deep roots in the community. When her parents enrolled her in a school in South China, Maine, a teacher recognized Tam’s curiosity and intellect, introduced her to new approaches to learning, and nurtured her confidence and growth.

Tam was a first-gen college student, earning a B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Maine and an M.S. in Management and Organizational Development from the SIT Institute, a school she chose deliberately instead of a more conventional business school.

From there Tam launched her career, focusing on bringing people together, including work as a consultant, creator of humanitarian programs, group mediator, and college administrator working with international and students of color and later in advancement at Colby College.

Innovative and passionate about helping others position themselves for greatness, ​Tameshia Sexton (aka Mesh Monroe) is a dynamic leader and community advocate dedicated to empowering children, families and communities. 

With a strong background in mentorship, coaching, and professional development, she has made a profound impact in her community by fostering holistic growth and personal development. ​​ 

​Tameshia is a domestic violence advocate, supporting survivors and providing tools for rebuilding their lives  in addition to her mentorship work with school age students teaching valuable life skills and building self-confidence. 

As a certified life coach, she mentors and coaches individuals on accountability, goal setting, and personal development 

With multiple awards and recognition for her impact as a mentor, trainer, and community advocate - Mesh Monroe’s long-term vision is to leave a lasting legacy that enhances the well being of children, families and communities through life coaching, peer support, and targeted case management.

Toshi works to engage participants through her Parable Path framework, a structure for community organizing based on Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower. Presented by Portland's Indigo Arts Alliance and Portland Ovations, Toshi and co-creator Bernice Johnson Reagon are brought their operatic adaptation of the novel to Portland in April 2023.

She uses her lyrics and artistry to bring people together, pointing to the widespread social issues that have created our current climate and racial justice crises and giving people the framework to imagine solutions. As the 2022-2023 Joseph McKeen Visiting Fellow at Bowdoin College, her focus had been around community-based action and student engagement.