Ella Smith, Jr.

Safe spaces for queer people of color

Ella Smith Jr., financial advisor

My name is Ella Smith Jr, I am 25 years old and since February 2021
board member at Colored Qollective. I'm
Dutch/American and identify me as a (gender) queer.

I ended up at Colored Qollective after a call at a symposium. The organization appealed to me, because I also feel the need to connect with people like myself. Colored Qollective is committed to creating a safe environment for queer people who don't feel completely at home in mostly white LGBTQIA+ spaces, which is why I would like to be part of this process. This way I can give something back to the community that has always welcomed me with open arms. Through this way I hope to make as many people as possible like me feel that there is a huge group of people who fully embrace them, and actively take steps to convey this feeling.