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FIERCE Welcomes New Organizer and National Program Director!

Community FYIs | FIERCE | Tuesday June 14, 2011 8:00

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FIERCE began the 2011 with a tall task to not only fill the FIERCE Director position, but to also bring on a new Organizer and National Program Director to expand the capacity of our programs, both new and existing.


We are excited to welcome Tara Tabassi as FIERCE’s new Organizer. Tara comes to FIERCE with experience as a youth organizer at Stonewall Youth in Olympia, WA and youth-led social movements in the Netherlands. Tara has worked on issues such as political education for liberation, war crime & sexual violence survivor trauma therapy, and Queer Muslim Diaspora community building and advocacy. Tara studied social justice at the Evergreen State College in Washington, and war/violent conflict and reconstruction at the Institute of Social Studies in the Hague, Netherlands.  Tara is committed to transforming communities through people power while also shaking off trauma and oppression by being silly, living with integrity and cooking up a spicy storm in a full home.  

 

As Organizer, Tara will be responsible for supporting FIERCE’s membership in outreaching to LGBTQ youth of color and building our base to support our campaigns, media work, national program and fundraising strategies.  As FIERCE member Rudy Rosado said, “FIERCE members are the heart and soul of the organization, and they wouldn’t be here if it weren’t the efforts of FIERCE’s Outreach Team and our base-building work.”  In addition to coordinating FIERCE’s Member-led Outreach Team, Tara will also serve as a key point person in our coalition work with the Association of Street Involved and Homeless Youth Service Providers and the Kiki Coalition. Welcome Tara!

 

 Morgan, 2011 ELP Mentor Britney, and Tara at ELP1 Graduation

 

FIERCE is also pleased to welcome Richard “Morgan” into the position of our new National Program Director. Morgan was born and raised in south central Los Angeles where he developed his skills as a youth organizer. As a founding member of South Central Youth Empowered thru Action, Morgan organized youth around several statewide initiatives relating juvenile justice, immigration rights, education and substance abuse. After eight years, Morgan transitioned to a leadership role as Program Coordinator of Youth United for Community Action (YUCA), where he continued the fight for social justice by developing the political consciousness and organizing skills of south LA high school students. Morgan has also worked on campaigns that have raised awareness on issues including early childhood education, gentrification, quality health care in low-income communities of color, homophobia, LGBTQ rights, racial profiling and sexual assault. For over 10 years now, he has been a member of The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company. As a Teaching Artist, Morgan has worked with underserved youth who have been currently incarcerated or on probation.  The Unusual Suspects Theater Company utilizes theatre arts to helped youth discover leadership skills and talents that they can use to use to change their current situations and make positive life choices.  

 

 

As National Program Director, Morgan will be working with our member-led National Committee to coordinate our national LGBTQ Youth of Color Organizing Summits, implement our capacity building cohorts, distributing our Youth Organizing toolkit, and working closely to build stronger relationships and coalitions with other youth of color and LGBTQ youth of color organizing groups. We are honored to welcome Morgan into this position!