Join members of the Bayard Rustin Society for an intimate, fireside-style conversation centered on what it truly means to build leadership across generations. Moderated by Thomas Silverman, this gathering brings together emerging leaders whose journeys have been shaped by the Rustin Institute’s growing network of mentorship, advocacy, and community.

Featuring Lexi Markham (YOU(th) Belong – Georgia), Christian Jeanine Lee (National Youth Advocacy Corps – Georgia), Tanay Agrawal (NYAC – San Jose), and Vik Williamson (Rustin Fellows – Washington State), the conversation highlights the lived impact of intergenerational leadership development. Each speaker represents a different pathway through Rustin Institute programming—offering a window into how young people are being supported not just to participate in movements, but to lead them with clarity, courage, and purpose.

Through storytelling, reflection, and dialogue, participants will explore how mentorship across generations shapes identity, builds confidence, and sharpens a sense of responsibility to community. These are not abstract outcomes—they are real, personal transformations that show up in classrooms, local organizing efforts, policy advocacy, and national movements.

Grounded in the legacy of Bayard Rustin—who believed deeply in the power of collective leadership—this event offers more than inspiration. It offers evidence. Attendees will see how the Bayard Rustin Society is actively carrying forward that legacy: investing in young leaders, cultivating strategic thinkers, and building a pipeline of changemakers prepared to meet this moment.

This conversation is also an invitation. It is a chance to witness the direct impact of your support, to understand how leadership is being nurtured in real time, and to deepen your connection to a community committed to organizing the future—rooted in wisdom, rising through relationship, and ready to lead.

Agenda

  • Host: Tim’m West

    Purpose:
     Welcome guests into community, create warmth and connection, and establish the tone for an intergenerational, values-centered gathering.

    Community Chat Prompt:
     Please share in the chat:

    • Your name

    • Pronouns

    • Where you’re joining from

    • One thing giving you hope in this moment

    Opening Framing:

    • Gratitude for Bayard Rustin Society members, supporters, and new guests

    • Acknowledge the current social and political climate

    • Emphasize hope, collective care, and the power of gathering across generations

    • Frame the evening as an opportunity to witness impact, not simply hear about programs

  • Presenter: Tim’m West

    Presentation Overview:
     Tim’m will offer a brief overview of the evolution of the LGBTQ+ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights into the independent Rustin Institute for Leadership Development.

    Key Themes:

    • Why this transition matters now

    • The importance of LGBTQ+-inclusive intergenerational leadership development

    • Building an independent 501(c)(3) rooted in justice, democracy, and human dignity

    • The influence and legacy of Bayard Rustin

    • The need for sustainable community-supported infrastructure

    Visual Walkthrough:

    • Brief tour of the Rustin Institute website

    • Introduction to the Bayard Rustin Society page

    • Explanation of the Society as a national philanthropic and mentorship community

  • Moderator: Tom Silverman

    Opening Program Introductions (Approx. 5 Minutes)

    Tom will briefly introduce the Institute’s three flagship leadership programs:

    YOU(th) Belong — Metro Atlanta

    A youth-centered leadership and belonging initiative serving LGBTQ+ young people and allies in Metro Atlanta. Through community gatherings, storytelling, arts engagement, civic participation, mentorship, and leadership opportunities, YOU(th) Belong creates affirming spaces where young people ages 13–25 can build confidence, connection, and purpose across generations.

    National Youth Advocacy Corps (NYAC)

    A national fellowship program connecting emerging youth advocates from across the country who are passionate about justice, storytelling, public health, education, civic engagement, and movement-building. Fellows collaborate on public-facing projects — including podcasts, curriculum guides, research initiatives, digital campaigns, and artistic works — while receiving mentorship from experienced leaders, educators, and advocates.

    Rustin Fellows

    (formerly the Georgia Youth Advocacy Fellowship)

    A statewide leadership development fellowship cultivating young advocates across Georgia through civic engagement, advocacy training, policy education, and community organizing. The Rustin Fellows program helps participants deepen their understanding of democracy, identity, and social change while connecting them to intergenerational networks of support and leadership.

    Featured Youth Leaders + Conversation (Approx. 25 Minutes)

    Featured Speakers

    • Lexi Markham (Atlanta, Georgia) — representing YOU(th) Belong

    • Tanay Agrawal (Bay Area, California) — representing NYAC

    • Christian Lee (Tuskegee University) — representing NYAC

    • Vik Williamson (Washington State, by way of Georgia) — representing Rustin Fellows

  • Guests will be invited to:

    • Share brief reflections in the chat

    • Offer words of encouragement to the youth speakers

    • Reflect on themes that resonated most deeply

    Optional prompt:

    “What stood out to you tonight about the power of intergenerational leadership?”

  • Presenter: Tom Silverman

    “Each One Bring One” Campaign Launch

    Tom will close the evening by inviting attendees into the next phase of growth for the Bayard Rustin Society through an “Each One Bring One” campaign running through June/Pride Month.

    Campaign Vision:
     If every current member and supporter invites one additional person into the Society, the community could double in size — helping establish a strong grassroots financial foundation as the Rustin Institute transitions into an independent national 501(c)(3).