Achebe Betty Powell has passed away at the age of 82, due to Covid at at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Brooklyn. She is remembered as an incredible LGBTQ activist, who was one of the first Black women to lead the lesbian & gay liberation movement in the 1970’s. She was a founding mother of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice org where she continued to serve for the last 45 years. She also was the first Black lesbian to serve on the board of directors of the National Gay Task Force and was co-chair of the board for several years. In 1977, she attended the historic meeting of lesbian and gay leaders at the Carter White House.
Powell once said, “All of our movements—the black civil rights movement, the women’s movement & the LGBTQ+ movement—were so important to link to each other. It’s critical for the long game. It’s about human rights & we need to work in that context to make this movement much larger than just us. It’s the continuing work of our current & future leaders to think in this visionary way, because we have to secure the rights of us all on this planet. We can never stop bending the arc of history toward justice—for all of us.”
Susana Fried, Co-Chair of Astraea Foundation’s Board said in a statement, “I commit to brining Achebe’s spirit into our work. As a friend of Achebe’s, I am honored & humbled to be part of the amazing Astraea journey that daily manifests Achebe’s principles & values.” Kierra Johnson, Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force concluded, “We are so saddened at the loss of Achebe Betty Powell. She was a pioneer, a visionary, an inspiration & trailblazer in a movement that was in its early organizing days. The Task Force was blessed to have her as a board chair & board member, including having her represent us as our first Black board member in 1977 at the first ever meeting at the White House with LGBTQ activists.”
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