FOUNDER | Managing director
Devin Barrington-Ward’s vision for the future is grounded in his lived experiences and personal identity as a Black Queer man of Caribbean descent growing beyond the traumas of youth homelessness, and navigating Black love, friendships, and community in the midst of immense racial and social challenges and the potential for a better future.
Since the age of 16, Devin has been working to transform and empower Black and Brown communities and other marginalized groups to address current and future barriers to good health, justice, collective safety, and freedom. He got his start as a campaign staffer working on Stacey Abrams’ 2006 campaign for the Georgia State House of Representatives.
Since then, his political experience has been shaped by serving in key positions to several elected officials and organizations including chief of staff, senior advisor, communications director, lobbyist, and special assistant. Devin’s passion for advocacy grew with his work representing Black-owned childcare providers in the fight to protect Pre-K programs and advancing HIV policy issues including the Georgia HIV and Syphilis Pregnancy Screening Act, a law that will lead to the elimination of mother to child transmission in Georgia.
Through his passion and vision for the future, Devin was appointed by the Presidents of Impulse Group United and AIDS Healthcare Foundation to serve as the first local chapter President of Impulse Group DC from 2015 to 2018. Under his leadership, the board of Impulse DC built a sex positive, entertainment based HIV advocacy organization rooted in racial equity and centered on the experiences of Black and Brown LGBTQ communities and homeless youth disproportionately impacted by the epidemic, homophobia, transphobia, and racism.
His work has resulted in the opportunity to serve as a subject matter expert and commentator to local and national media outlets like the Washington Post, Washington Blade, Newsweek, NPR Atlanta, and TvONE. Devin’s passion for building Black Futures has earned him top honors and recognition from the Gentlemen’s Foundation, DC Black Pride, Poz Magazine, and DC Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.
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CHIEF OF STAFF
Jerome P. Bryant is from a small farming community on the outskirts of Georgetown County. The Sampit community taught Jerome at a young age the power of having a strong work ethic and a kind heart. In 2005, Jerome graduated from University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science degree in History. Jerome completed his MBA in Management in leadership from Webster University.
Throughout Jerome’s 20 years of social activism he has successfully worked on several projects including: Fund the HOPE Scholarship, SC for Healthcare and the campaign to remove the confederate flag.
Jerome encourages everyone to do their part to make the community stronger. In January 2019, Jerome became the chief of staff for the Black Futurists Group. In this role he has a great opportunity to shape the lives of the black community by fighting for justice and equality in the present.
SENIOR STRATEGIST
Ryan Rolle’s perspective on the Black Future is rooted in an amalgamation of lived experience and academic research. Growing up in the Caribbean and seeing the implications of corrupted public policy and the results of social hegemony he was prompted to cultivate spaces that promote diversity and inclusion.
Ryan received his Bachelor of Science degree from Midwestern State University in Psychology where his undergraduate research looked at the intersection of race, politics, and mental health. Ryan received his Master of Arts in Sociology at Clark Atlanta University where his research is focused advocacy competencies, burnout, and compassion fatigue of grassroots organizers in the Metro-Atlanta area.
Ryan’s goal for a Black future dismantles the structures which seek to disenfranchise marginalized individuals in society and empowers them to create spaces that highlight the brilliance of their identities. Ryan’s Black future is authentic, collaborative, diverse, and inclusive.
Special assistant
Ja’Mae’ Rooks, originally from Palm Springs, California, grew up in a military family which has allowed her to connect with a vast variety of cultures. In being afforded the opportunity to travel, Ja’Mae’ took interest into learning the history of all the places that she was able to travel. Ja’Mae graduated with her B.A. in History/Political Science from Brenau University in 2016. That same year, Ja’Mae’ began a career in public service. She started working on different campaigns in various capacities and later made it to the Georgia State Capitol.
Ja’Mae has worked at the State Capitol as a legislative aide since 2018. During her journey, Ja’Mae’ has learned that the betterment of the future is in the collective work of many as opposed to the ideas and thoughts of a few.