LaTosha Brown

LaTosha Brown is an award-winning visionary, thought leader, institution builder, cultural activist, artist, and connector. She is a nationally recognized expert in Black voting rights, voter suppression, Black women’s empowerment, and philanthropy.

Her voice serves as a bridge connecting diverse spheres such as philanthropy with grassroots communities, traditional politics with grassroots activism, and practical applications with academic studies in movement building.

Brown is the Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Fund and Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute. These initiatives aim to increase Black voter registration and turnout, as well as empower marginalized, predominantly Black, communities. The Black Voters Matter Fund notably played a crucial role in the voter turnout in Alabama's Black Belt, contributing significantly to Doug Jones' election to the U.S. Senate in 2017.

She is also the founder, and co-anchor of the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium, a $100 million, 10-year initiative designed to fund organizations that support Black women and girls in the South. This program is unique in that it is fully conceptualized and implemented by Black girls and women from inception to execution, offering a new model of philanthropy.

In addition to these roles, Brown serves as a Senior Practice Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard’s Kennedy School. She continues her academic affiliations as the 2020 Hauser Leader at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, the 2020 Leader in Practice at Harvard Kennedy School’s Women and Public Policy Program, and a 2020-2021 American Democracy Fellow at the Charles Warren Center at Harvard.

Brown's international experience spans 23 countries, including Kenya, Guyana, and Brazil, focusing on empowering women and challenging the perception of them as merely victims rather than solutions providers.

Brown has been honored with numerous awards for her contributions such as the 2010 White House Champion of Change Award, the 2006 Spirit of Democracy Award, and the Louis Burnham Award for Human Rights. She is also the recipient of the 2018 Bridge Jubilee Award and Liberty Bell Award. Featured on CNN, HBO, MSNBC and Fox, to name a few, Brown's impact has been documented in several docuseries including "What’s Eating America?," "American Swamp," and "Finding Justice." She serves on the board of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, the Southern Documentary Fund, the U.S. Human Rights Network and the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center.
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