WHAT I KNOW NOW: President and CEO of the Center for Black Equity, Earl D. Fowlkes Jr.
Earl Fowlkes currently serves as the President and CEO of the Center for Black Equity, Inc. which aims to uplift the lives of Black LGBTQ+ people through a multinational network of Black LGBTQ Pride and community-based organizations.
Name: Earl D. Fowlkes, Jr.
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Where you live now: Washington, DC
What you wanted to be when you were a teenager: HS History teacher
What you do now: President/CEO of the Center For Black Equity (Black LGBTQ+ non-profit organization)
What are you most proud of: Being named one of three Grand Marshals at NYC Pride and riding in an open convertible down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in front of two million people.
3 words that describe your teenage self: Isolated, confused and naive
3 words that describe you now: Self-assured, confident and hopeful
What would you tell your teenage self: You are not alone and are not a freak of nature. There’s an entire community awaiting your arrival.
What you wish you knew about coming out that you know now: I wish I knew how to identify gay men. As it turned out after the fact, I found out I had many gay classmates in high school.
What you love most about being a part of the LGBTQ+ community: The diversity and creativity of a community consisting of people who stand tall against adversity.
Person you most admire: Queen Elizabeth II
If you could change one thing about the world, you would: Remove prejudice — get to know a person based on your interaction with them not what people tell you about the person.
What inspires you now: Seeing young people not waiting for older people to give them permission to be themselves and expressing themselves according to their needs/desires not what society dictates.
