PBCHRC Board Member Jasmin Lewis Named Victory Fund Empowerment Fellow

The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council (PBCHRC) is proud to announce that Board Member Jasmin Lewis has been selected by the LGBTQ Victory Institute to be a 2020 Victory Empowerment Fellow.  PBCHRC is Florida's oldest, independent, non-partisan, political organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

LGBTQ Victory Institute works to increase the number of LGBTQ people in public office and to provide programming, service and other support to help ensure their success. Victory Empowerment Fellows, LGBTQ leaders of color and trans leaders, are on the front lines of the fight for equality and justice in their communities. While dozens of LGBTQ activists from across the country applied for the coveted fellowships, only eight were selected. All are all LGBTQ change-makers with aspirations for public service.

Each of the eight 2020 Victory Empowerment Fellows will be assigned an LGBTQ mentor and  will participate in the Victory Institute's Candidate & Campaign Virtual Training. In December, they will attend the International LGBTQ Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. The annual conference is the largest gathering of LGBTQ leaders in the world

"I was filled with emotion at being named a Victory Empowerment Fellow," said Lewis. "The mentorship, networking and skills this program provides will be invaluable in my work to improve the current landscape of inequality across Florida - as well as when I ultimately run for public office."

"Victory Empowerment Fellows bring critical voices to their communities.  They represent the future of LGBTQ politics," said PBCHRC President and Founder Rand Hoch. "Everyone on our Board of Directors is proud that Jasmin was recognized for her leadership and skills. We look forward to her utilizing the skills she will gain through the LGBTQ Victory Institute in her civic endeavors for many years to come."]

Jasmin holds a bachelor of science (B.S.) degree in Elementary Education, a master's degree in Elementary Education (M.Ed.), an Educational Specialist (Ed.S) degree in Educational Leadership and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Innovation. An English teacher at Palm Beach Gardens Community High School, Jasmin serves as a co-sponsor of the school's Gay Straight Alliance - the largest GSA in Palm Beach County

Throughout this election year, Jasmin has helped coordinate the PBCHRC Voters Alliance interviews of dozens of candidates for municipal, county, judicial and legislative office. PBCHRC Charitable Foundation named her as Chair of the Daniel S. Hall Social Justice Awards program.  She serves as the Community Engagement Co-Chair for the South Florida Steering Committee of the Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and as PBCHRC's liaison for HRC South Florida.

Additionally, Jasmin is involved in programs for the NAACP, the Urban League and Discover the Palm Beaches and serves on that organization's LGBTQ Advisory Board. As an Executive Board Member for New Leaders Council-Palm Beach, she serves as one of the recruitment chairs. Jasmin also is a member of the South Florida Fair's "Beyond the Fair - Class of 2021" and recently was elected Delegate to the 2020 Democratic National Convention.