John,

After an extensive search, we are thrilled to announce that nationally renowned civil rights leader Nadine Smith will join the Color Of Change team January 12, 2026 as our new President and Chief Executive Officer, bringing her principled leadership, strategic brilliance, and uncompromising dedication to justice to the nation’s largest online civil rights organization.

From the moment we first spoke with her about this role, we knew we had found the exact visionary our movement needs at this critical juncture in our nation’s history. Her proven track record of turning impossible fights into victories, and her unwavering commitment to building power for communities under attack make her the right person to guide Color Of Change.

“I’m excited to join this exceptional team and help lead the movement when it matters most. As forces work to silence Black voices, erase our history, and dismantle multiracial democracy, we need an organization that can mobilize millions of people to action—not just once, but consistently, strategically, powerfully. This is the moment Color Of Change was built for and building Black political power is how we win,” Nadine said.

She has been a lifelong advocate for Black people, from her early days as one of the four national co-chairs of the 1993 March on Washington that drew one million pro-equality marchers to the nation’s capital, to the critical role she played in Florida’s Fair Districts campaign to end racial gerrymandering and make state legislative and congressional districts more representative of Black and brown voters.

Nadine built Equality Florida, alongside the 501(c)(4) Equality Florida Action and Equality Florida Action PAC, into one of the nation’s most effective grassroots civil rights organizations. In response to the “Stop W.O.K.E.” law, Equality Florida built a grassroots army of parents to counter groups like the Proud Boys and the Moms for Liberty to stop the removal of books about civil rights icons and LGBTQ+ lives, warning that these bans were part of a coordinated campaign to erase truth and undermine democracy.

Now that assault on democracy is a national project, we need a leader who will not be intimidated by those who see our progress as a threat to their power. Nadine is that leader, with proven grit and a resolve that has only grown stronger with each challenge.
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“Florida has been a testing ground for Project 2025, but when you get up close to the machine, you can see its cracks,” Nadine said. “I’ve learned that our opposition will always falter in the face of smart strategies and powerful organizing, and that’s what Color Of Change brings to this moment.”

Nadine has been named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, recognized by Lambda Legal, honored by the League of Women Voters, awarded the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund Award, and serves as chair of the Florida Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

She is a sophisticated communicator with deep appreciation for the power of narrative and understanding of the new media ecosystem. She began her career as an award-winning broadcast and print journalist and today, she hosts Wide Awake America, an award-winning radio show and podcast she created that has also become one of Substack’s fastest-growing independent media platforms.

“Black people are at the leading edge of the new media ecosystem, and I believe Color Of Change is uniquely positioned to become the trusted media platform for our 7 million members and beyond,” said Nadine. “We can break through the propaganda dome to expose the powerful and fuel an unstoppable grassroots movement.”

In 2025, Color Of Change has:
Mobilized Members
- Empowered hundreds of thousands of members to take action
- Reached thousands through town halls in Georgia, Michigan, and North Carolina within the past month on reproductive justice, economic policy, and corporate accountability
- Helped anchor mass resistance mobilizations, including Hands Off and No Kings rallies
- Organized squad calls that galvanized members against the neosegregationist agenda and efforts to remove Black history and art from the Smithsonian

Amplified Voter Protection
- Activated Black voters for YesOn50 victory in California, delivering a critical blow against authoritarian efforts to restrict democratic freedoms
- Led national redistricting fight to protect Black voter power and ensure that historic gains in Black voting rights are not erased

Advanced Economic Justice
- Led the fight for more equitable and affordable tax filing options and policy changes through advocacy
- Organized lobby day with members who visited more than 100 Congressional offices to stress concerns about the impact of the budget reconciliation bill on Black communities

This year marks Color Of Change’s 20th anniversary. It evolved from a small startup into one of the largest and most dynamic racial justice organizations, with millions of members demonstrating the power of Black communities by moving decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more humane and less hostile world for Black people.

“My family’s story, from organizing sharecroppers in Mississippi to mobilizing the first Black nurses in New York City, is part of a larger one of people who stood up to oppression and made a way out of no way,” said Nadine. “Their courage keeps me optimistic even in the face of cruelty because we are witnessing the last gasp of a dying order. Our work is to defend our communities and build something stronger, more just, and truly multiracial, a future where everyone can thrive.”

Under Nadine’s leadership, Color Of Change is prepared to deepen its impact, strengthen its organizing power, and meet the challenges ahead with focus, courage, and unity. Make a gift today to help us usher in this next chapter of progress for our movement!

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We could not be more excited about the future of Color Of Change with Nadine at the helm.

In solidarity,

Heather McGee and Jenn Stowe, Color Of Change Board Chairs

Learn more about Nadine Smith and her family that fueled her commitment to civil rights.

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