Reasons for stepping down still unclear

By Sr. Correspondent,  Antoine Craigwell

(New York, NY) - Without any hint that there might have been tremors at the top, H. Alexander Robinson's resignation, as executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), effective May 28, reverberated throughout the national Black gay community.

 

Robinson's resignation became known from a statement on the organization's Website and carried the euphemism that he "will be moving on to other opportunities," which suggested there is more to this than has been revealed.
H. Alexander Robinson
Robinson was with the Coalition for five years, said the organization's Board president, Kylar Broadus, Esq., an assistant professor of business law at Lincoln University of Missouri and an attorney with the Transgender Law and Policy Institute.

"Robinson has contributed significantly to the development of the community over the last five years," Broadus said in the release.

While the reasons for his resignation remain unclear, speculation is swirling that it may be linked to a previous article carried here in GBMNews.com, which stated that he earned a masters in business administration from Stanford University, but which was corrected when the University's administration complained about factual accuracy.

Robinson was the first executive director since the NBJC, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization, was formed. Among his accomplishments he coordinated a response that was integral in the defeat of the marriage amendment which defined marriage as exclusive to a man a woman. During his time with the NBJC, Robinson was actively involved in the fight for equal rights for Black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and communities. He worked tirelessly and successfully on organizational projects including the annual Black Church Summit, the Religious Affairs Advisory Committee, enhancing NBJC social networking, field operations, political programs, and fundraising and development.

Contacted by email for comment, Robinson, up to press time, replied that he is taking a few days off and would comment in about a week or so.

With his replacement, though temporary, coming from the organization's religious section, Robinson may have had a hand in selecting Sylvia Rhue, Ph.D., the organization's director of Religious Affairs and Constituency Development, whose appointment as interim executive director took effect Jun 1.
Dr. Sylvia Rhue
The NBJC is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black LGBT people, and its mission is to end racism and homophobia. The organization's vision is a world where all people are fully empowered to participate safely, openly and honestly in family, faith and community, regardless of race, gender-identity, or sexual orientation.

Before joining the NBJC, Rhue worked as a manager with the California Freedom to Marry Coalition, was a director with Equal Partners in Faith, with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Rights, and as the assistant director of counseling and as a policy and public affairs advocate with the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.

"We look forward to continuing this important, groundbreaking work with Dr. Rhue," said Broadus, who indicated that the organization is conducting a nationwide search for a permanent replacement.

In a letter to members of the Coalition, Rhue thanked Robinson for his service and wished him well in his new endeavors, but quickly moved on to informing recipients of her plans and the future of NBJC.

She said in the press release that the NBJC would be working with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in the celebrations of that organization's centennial to ensure that LGBT people are part of the process in a partnership with the NAACP's LGBT Task Force.

"NBJC is poised to make even bigger strides towards our twin goals of eradicating racism and eliminating homophobia. As one of NBJC's founders, I would have scarcely believed we could make such progress in five short years, and now as Interim Director, I look forward to building on the foundation that we've all worked to create," said Rhue.

The NBJC is working with the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey for the Newark Essex Pride Week, developing a forum for the start of Chicago Black Gay Pride, with Equality Tennessee on Employment Discrimination legislation, and with next spring's Black Church Summit in Charlotte, NC, she said.