Raquel Willis

Raquel Willis says we have to see our experiences as interconnected: discrimination against Black and trans people hurts us all, which is why we must stand in solidarity to fight for a fairer future. An award-winning activist and author, Raquel is a thought leader on gender, race, and intersectionality whose work has been recognized everywhere from the Webbys to Forbes. She co-founded the Transgender Week of Visibility and Action, and has held groundbreaking posts, including director of communications for Ms. Foundation for Women, executive editor of Out magazine, and national organizer for Transgender Law Center. In talks, Raquel draws on her experience as a Black trans woman who grew up in a Southern Catholic family, showing us how our diverse backgrounds and interests make us stronger together in the work that needs to be done. She explains the “three C’s” of true DEI at work and on campus—commitment, culture, and content (plus a caveat)—and gives us practical ways to stand up for one another and ensure everyone can thrive.

Raquel’s debut memoir, The Risk It Takes to Bloom, is a powerful and passionate exploration of Raquel’s life, her commitment to speaking up for communities on the margins, and how complex moments can push us all to take necessary risks and bloom towards collective liberation. It traces her experience exploring her gender, examining her relationship with herself and her loved ones, coming out, and finally becoming one of the leading Black trans activists in history. Oscar-nominated actor Elliot Page calls it “essential reading,” saying that “Raquel Willis uses her life story as a means to inspire and encourage us to step into our full selves.”

Raquel currently serves as executive producer for iHeartMedia’s LGBTQ+ podcast network Outspoken, president of the Solutions Not Punishments Collaborative’s executive board, and a WNBA Social Justice Council member. Her writing has been published in VICE, Buzzfeed, and Vogue, among others, as well as several anthologies including Four Hundred Souls, edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha Blain. She spoke at the National Women’s March in Washington, D.C., shortly after the presidential election of Donald Trump. She has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30, The Root 100, the ESSENCE’s Woke 100 Women, Fast Company’s Queer 50, and more.