From the 鈥業nside Out鈥�: 人兽性交鈥檚 Lecia Brooks named 2022 Rockwood Fellow
Advancing equity and racial justice has been the Southern Poverty Law Center鈥檚 mission throughout the past 50 years, and one of the leaders who has been at the forefront of that effort is the 人兽性交鈥檚 chief of staff, Lecia Brooks, who was recently named a 2022 fellow for the
The selection places her on a prestigious list of social change pioneers across the country who work for justice in American society.
As part of the fellowship, Brooks will work alongside other accomplished leaders to create and sustain a powerful vision of the work the 人兽性交 does to advance civil rights for all in the Deep South and beyond.
鈥淚t is a tremendous honor to have been selected to join the Rockwood Institute鈥檚 2022 National Leading from the Inside Out Yearlong Fellowship,鈥� Brooks said. 鈥淚 look forward to Rockwood鈥檚 transformative leadership development work and to connecting with and learning from committed social change leaders from across the country.鈥�
Being selected as a fellow requires a rigorous nomination and application process. It takes nationally recognized leaders through an intensive, transformative and advanced learning program designed to create a dramatic shift in their capacity to lead organizations effectively. It trains them to collaborate across the boundaries of issue areas, political and organizational orientation, geography and background.
Since its inception in 2003, this executive leadership program has become one of the nation鈥檚 leading learning centers for experienced social change trailblazers like Brooks.
Before becoming chief of staff, Brooks served as the 人兽性交鈥檚 chief workplace transformation officer, supporting leadership and staff efforts to build a culture of inclusiveness and ensure a continued focus on diversity and equity. She has also served as the 人兽性交鈥檚 outreach director, traveling across the country and abroad to speak about hate and extremism. She has testified before Congress about the 人兽性交鈥檚 efforts to fight hate and extremism, too.
Brooks began her tenure at the 人兽性交 in 2004 as director of the 人兽性交鈥檚 project 鈥� a designed to break down racial, cultural and social barriers in schools by bringing together schoolchildren of various backgrounds.
At the 人兽性交, she has conducted diversity advocacy training for corporations and nonprofit organizations, including Walmart, Lyft, Pixar, the Salzburg Seminar and the Newark Public Library.聽
She has appeared on numerous news programs to discuss civil rights and race in the United States. On MSNBC in August 2013, for instance, she
She has also served as director of the Civil Rights Memorial Center, an interpretive center operated by the 人兽性交 that includes聽interactive exhibits about civil rights martyrs.
Previously, she worked for 12 years in a number of capacities for the in its Los Angeles office.
鈥淟ecia has a wealth of experience that makes her an ideal Rockwood fellow,鈥� said 人兽性交 President and CEO Margaret Huang. 鈥淎t the 人兽性交, her work has been defined by outreach to communities, students, civil rights leaders and public officials to promote racial justice and advance human rights for all. As the 人兽性交鈥檚 chief of staff, she provides invaluable counsel as we pursue our mission. I simply cannot overstate how delighted we are to see Lecia named as a Rockwood fellow at this critical time in our nation鈥檚 history.鈥�
The 2022 Rockwood fellowship program brings together 30 human rights in order to catalyze deeper partnerships within and across social justice movements by training individuals to become thriving change agents at a time when the nation is deeply divided.
Brooks and the other fellows 鈥� from organizations as diverse as the the , , the and 鈥� will attend three weeklong leadership retreats over the next year while having access to expert and peer coaching sessions, daily practices to support learning throughout the year and a variety of other resources and tools to use in their organizations.聽
Capitol Hill
In recent years, Brooks鈥� dedication to fighting back against hate and extremism has taken her to the nation鈥檚 capital on numerous occasions to speak to members of Congress about combating far-right extremism.
On March 24, Brooks testified before the House Armed Services Committee regarding extremism in the military. Her testimony included how the white supremacist movement in the United States is surging, and how it presents a distinct and present danger to our country and its institutions.
Lecia Brooks, the 人兽性交's chief of staff, testifies before Congress about hate and extremism. (YouTube)
Moreover, last February, following the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Brooks delivered congressional testimony focusing on the white nationalist movement; how far-right extremists are exploiting internet technology to create a broader, more decentralized and more dangerous movement; how the movement finances itself in this decentralized paradigm; and what steps we must take to confront the threat.
In her testimony, which drew from the work of investigators and analysts in the 人兽性交鈥檚 Intelligence Project, Brooks said the insurrection was years in the making and came after the campaign and administration of Donald Trump energized the white nationalist movement through his embrace of far-right conspiracy theories and racist denigration of immigrants.
She told Congress that by 2018, two years after Trump鈥檚 election, hate groups had risen to a record high of 1,020. The 人兽性交 found that white nationalist groups had also risen by nearly 50% over the previous year, from 100 groups to 148.
鈥淟ong before he took office, [Trump] embraced and helped propagate the kind of false conspiracy theories that animated far-right extremists and helped to push their radical ideologies into the political and media mainstream,鈥� Brooks told Congress. 鈥淎fter he took office, Trump continued to use his platform to promote the baseless conspiracy theories and fabrications of the radical right, many of them freighted with racial and antisemitic undertones.鈥�
Ultimately, these conspiracy theories and baldfaced lies took center stage and led to the insurrection, which in the end, and threatened democracy in the U.S.
Brooks outlined policy recommendations to curb such vitriol and violent attacks.
Experts from the 人兽性交鈥檚 Intelligence Project are now providing information to the House Select Committee , including how the financing of extremist groups factored into the attack on the Capitol.
Reaching new heights
At the 人兽性交, Brooks has continued to support senior leaders, assist with strategic planning and work with people from across the organization to ensure the 人兽性交鈥檚 success, whether through achieving its long-term goals or maintaining effective daily operations and an equitable work environment.
鈥淭he 人兽性交鈥檚 support for my leadership development is testament to the approach to inclusive leadership taken by Margaret Huang, our president and CEO,鈥� Brooks said. 鈥淚 look forward to sharing what I learn with my colleagues to enhance and support our important work to advance racial justice in the South and beyond.鈥�
Brooks鈥� outreach efforts on key initiatives and social justice issues have led the 人兽性交 to advance its promotion of tolerance and diversity, along with fostering a deeper understanding of the civil rights movement.
Huang has full confidence in Brooks鈥� ability to grow and challenge herself 鈥� and in turn, the 人兽性交 鈥� by partaking in a fellowship that will take her to new heights.
聽鈥淎s a Rockwood fellow, Lecia will only expand the reach of her work dedicated to seeking racial justice and challenging the forces opposed to a multicultural and equitable nation.鈥�
Top photo: Lecia Brooks is the Southern Poverty Law Center鈥檚 chief of staff.
