Meet Toni Newman | Nonprofit Director & Author March 2, 2024 – Posted in: Press

We had the good fortune of connecting with Toni Newman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Toni, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?

Still I Rise
BY DR. MAYA ANGELOU,
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

I met Dr. Angelou while a student at Wake Forest University in 1981, and she was a Reynolds Professor there. This poem inspired me to step into my authentic self and write my memoir, “I Rise-The Transformation of Toni Newman,” in 2011. It reminded me that fear has no place in one’s life. You must be fearless to achieve .

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been a CEO 3 times, and all these nonprofits did well under my leadership. I am proud to have led these nonprofits as a Black Trans Woman of Color. I focused on the work and led by an open lens of equity.

I currently lead a national coalition, the NMAC Coalition for Justice and Equality Across Movements, fighting for Health Equity for All, regardless of Race, Sex, and Gender. I believe every American deserves quality healthcare.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love the Pantages Theatre, and the broadway shows they show. The Birdcage Restaurant in Hollywood is one of my favorite dining spots. Nobu Restaurant in West Hollywood is also one of my favorite restaurants as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out TransCanWork and their Executive Director, Lexi Adsit for their national work helping the TGNC community.