Justin B Smith, 28, is a U.S. Air Force Veteran. He grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland but presently resides in Baltimore.Justin is a Gay Activist. Since 1999 he has worked with various gay organizations including the National Black Justice Coalition, Human Rights Campaign, Equality Maryland, Us Helping Us, and People Into Living Incorporated.
Justin is currently enrolled in school pursuing his degree in Communication and Journalism.
State senator and civil rights activist Gwendolyn T. Britt died on January 12th after being taken to Doctor's Community Hospital in Lanham, according to a spokeswoman for Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller. She was 66.
"The passing of Senator Britt is a tremendous loss not only to her family, but to our family in the state Senate, her constituents in Prince George's County, and to the state of Maryland," Miller said in a statement. "Her dedication to public service, leadership on issues such as education, health care, and civil rights was unmatched, and her reputation as a consensus-builder will be greatly missed." Britt was first elected in 2002 after retiring as a human resources manager for Giant Food. Last year, she was elected chairwoman of the Prince George's County delegation; she also served as assistant deputy majority leader.
The five-year Democratic senator was expected to introduce legislation this year that would legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland, and she had become a "hero" to the gay community, wrote Dan Furmansky, executive director of Equality Maryland.
"Thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Marylanders and their families only knew Senator Britt by name, and yet this name truly meant everything to them," he wrote.
Britt's political career began as a student activist at Howard University. In June 1960, Britt, then known as Gwendolyn Greene, walked into Montgomery County's then-segregated Glen Echo Park with several students and tried to ride the merry-go-round.
State senator and civil rights activist Gwendolyn T. Britt died on January 12th after being taken to Doctor's Community Hospital in Lanham, according to a spokeswoman for Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller. She was 66.
"The passing of Senator Britt is a tremendous loss not only to her family, but to our family in the state Senate, her constituents in Prince George's County, and to the state of Maryland," Miller said in a statement. "Her dedication to public service, leadership on issues such as education, health care, and civil rights was unmatched, and her reputation as a consensus-builder will be greatly missed." Britt was first elected in 2002 after retiring as a human resources manager for Giant Food. Last year, she was elected chairwoman of the Prince George's County delegation; she also served as assistant deputy majority leader.
The five-year Democratic senator was expected to introduce legislation this year that would legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland, and she had become a "hero" to the gay community, wrote Dan Furmansky, executive director of Equality Maryland.
"Thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Marylanders and their families only knew Senator Britt by name, and yet this name truly meant everything to them," he wrote.
Britt's political career began as a student activist at Howard University. In June 1960, Britt, then known as Gwendolyn Greene, walked into Montgomery County's then-segregated Glen Echo Park with several students and tried to ride the merry-go-round.
According to a Washington Post story about the confrontation, which sparked five days of protests, Britt was arrested for trespassing, spat upon and harassed by counter-picketers.
Britt postponed going to school to join the Freedom Riders, who were challenging Jim Crow laws in the South. A year after joining the Freedom Riders she spent 40 days in a Mississippi jail for sitting in a whites-only train station.
Terry Speigner, chairman of the Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee, said that Britt's background gave her a quiet courage in the world of politics.
"A couple of months ago, I remember talking to her about the Prince George's County hospital system, what's happening there and what we need to accomplish," Speigner said. "She made a comparison to what she had gone through in the civil rights movement, and said, 'This is a cakewalk.' She had had bigger battles in her life."
This woman was a major Gay Ally, she stood up for equality ''She was the real deal,'' said Dan Furmansky, executive director of Equality Maryland, in an e-mail message. ''When she sang 'We Shall Overcome' at Equality Maryland events, it was a harkening to a time when she was struggling to be treated as a human being worthy of sitting at a lunch counter or drinking from a water fountain.'' ''Her fight for civil rights never abated,'' Furmansky added. In addition to Britt's latest effort to restore voting rights to ex-felons, Furmansky said she was ''excited to take the lead on sponsoring a marriage bill in the Maryland Senate.'' The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, which was sponsored by Britt in the Senate, along with Del. Victor R. Ramirez (D-Prince George's County) and Del. Benjamin S. Barnes (D-Anne Arundel and Prince George's County) in the House, would allow any ''two people'' to legally wed, in addition to allowing churches in the state the right to marry any two individuals, including same-gender couples. The bill is slated for introduction this week, according to Equality Maryland. Furmansky, who describes Britt as a ''beautiful and warm human being,'' said that while the GLBT community has lost one its biggest allies, the fight for equal rights shall continue. ''This is a devastating loss, but civil rights struggles are greater than any one person, and as our fight for equality in Maryland continues, her spirit will be with us.''
When GLBT Marylanders lost a battle in the fight Britt gave this statement: "I am very disappointed that the court has decided to prolong discrimination against same-sex couples in Maryland," said Britt in a statement following the court ruling. "Same-sex couples in Maryland form committed relationships and loving families, and they need access to the many family protections that the state provides to married couples. It is now up to the General Assembly to do the right thing, and I am proud to lead the effort to pass a bill ending discrimination in marriage in Maryland."
Funeral arrangements were pending, said Lisa Fulton, a spokeswoman for Miller.