The future looks beautiful to Christian Nunes, MBA, MS, LCSW,  president of the National Organization of Women, the 57-year-old organization built from the grassroots to address gender inequality at the height of the civil rights movement.

“The future looks beautiful to @ChrisFNunes, MBA, MS, LCSW,  president of @NationalNOW, the 57-year-old organization built from the #grassroots to address #genderinequality at the height of the civil rights movement. ”

“I hear it all the time,” Nunes says. “‘It’s a traditionally white feminist organization.’ Yes it is, but we are working to shift that. We also have young feminists, Asian, Indigenous, Black, brown, trans and men who are members. What we have to do is uplift all their voices so people feel comfortable and they can say I feel safe and accepted in NOW.”

As the second Black president in NOW’s history, and the youngest person of color and youngest president in more than 40 years, Nunes is leading the organization through an intersectional lens, bringing a diverse coalition of grassroots activists to work against structural sexism and racism.

With 550 chapters and more than 500,000 members in all 50 states and around the world, as well as a Facebook group of 210,000 members, NOW is focusing its mission of working against structural sexism and racism with intersectionality, Nunes says.

“With 550 chapters and more than 500,000 members in all 50 states and around the world, @NationalNOW is focusing its mission of working against structural sexism and racism with #intersectionality, @ChrisFNunes says. #feminism”

“We know when to stand in solidarity,” says Nunes, who launched NOW’s Racial Justice Summit in 2020 and has recently launched the 100 days of the Feminist Agenda Campaign in partnership with Black Women’s Blueprint.

With the current social injustice crises of women’s healthcare and reproductive rights, racial violence, political extremism and disinformation, Nunes, who describes herself as an optimist, says it is similar to other points in history.

“I think when we look at this time it is no different than the past. Yes, it’s a different century, but if you look at extreme movements, they have always faced violence, disinformation, challenges. What we learn from our leaders and ancestors is that they too had to fight through these times of helplessness before victory.”

During Black History Month and days away from Women’s History Month, it is important to note the historic intersections of gender and race in critical moments on the timeline of history. In February NOW is hosting the annual Racial Justice Summit and a Black Mental Health Summit in partnership with the Bottom-Up Foundation and BLD PWR, titled “Healing is Resistance: A Restorative Path to Mental Wellness.”

“It is important for NOW to have a Black woman leading,” Nunes says. “In order to be intersectional we look at how we are being authentic, we make sure we are truthful about relationships and are uplifting our own stories and our own history. I understand intersectionality and as a Black woman I can give truth to that experience.”

““It is important for @NationalNOW to have a Black woman leading,” @ChrisFNunes says. “I understand intersectionality and as a Black woman I can give truth to that experience.” #trustblackwomen #blackleaders”

Saluting the foundation of NOW is also critical. She adds, “It is important how we lift those women who were instrumental in shaping NOW.”

Born and raised in Houston, Nunes says her mother and brothers moved to Phoenix when she was 13. She graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2000 with a bachelors degree in social work, even though her dream growing up was to be a lawyer.

“My dream shifted in high school because I saw people who were organizing who needed hands-on support,” she says. “I didn’t want to be in court; I wanted to be a therapist and help and have impact.”

Working as a victim advocate in Flagstaff, Arizona, Nunes says she was immersed in social justice as a domestic violence victim advocate, before moving to New York to earn her masters in clinical social work at Columbia University in 2002.

While earning her degree, 9/11 happened and she had hands-on experience dealing with the effects of trauma on people, working in an adolescent health center at Mount Sinai Hospital.

She returned to Arizona in 2002 after graduation and founded a behavioral health and consultancy practice, working as a therapist, as well as working in community organizing in Black and brown communities. Over time, she earned her MBA from the University of Phoenix.

In 2011, she became a member of NOW in the local Phoenix chapter, but never thought she would move up to vice president in 2019 and president in 2020. “Never did I imagine that I was to be the leader of national NOW.”

“I have always been focused on women’s issues, rights and equality,” Nunes says. “It aligned with what I believed in, but I didn’t call myself a feminist, even though I was born in a feminist household.”

A former NOW board member and committee chair, as well as a licensed clinical social worker, consultant, and woman-minority business owner, Nunes has been an advocate for children’s and women’s issues for more than 20 years. She works on bringing feminist voters to the polls and launched Run NOW, a campaign training program for intersectional candidates

“A former @NationalNOW board member and committee chair, as well as a licensed clinical social worker, consultant, and woman-minority business owner, @ChrisFNunes has been an advocate for children’s and women’s issues for more than 20 years. #womensrights”

Nunes has launched key initiatives such as the Unlock the Future campaign, which demands humane treatment for detained immigrant families, especially women and girls seeking refuge from sexual violence, assault, and poverty. She helped create a Bill of Rights for Immigrant Women and Girls and introduced racial equity training for all levels of the organization.

“We all have critical roles to shape the women’s movement to transform this involvement for those identifying as women. We are busy fighting for a place of equity for everyone,” Nunes says.

Throughout her career, Nunes has played an integral role in the drafting of policy positions with local and national coalition partners, including a recent collaboration with the National Coalition for the Homeless, according to NOW.

At the helm of NOW, she is leading it into the future, but not willing to guarantee the mission will be accomplished in a set time frame.

“You have to understand relationship building to change the world as a whole; know when is a time to lead, when is time to support or stay in solidarity, not be bystanders or complicit, but be able to stand up,” Nunes says.

““You have to understand relationship building to change the world as a whole; know when is a time to lead, when is time to support or stay in #solidarity, not be bystanders or complicit, but be able to stand up,” @ChrisFNunes says. #activism”

“We want to be that organization that is authentic, electing champions who are accountable and helping to create opportunities where we are empowering and protecting women and girls,” Nunes says.

In the wake of the Roe V. Wade reversal and social injustice, racial and gender violence, Nunes says, “We have to be prepared to be strong together, collectively.” She adds, “I have become more bold because of the attacks on women. We have to let them know we are now scared and will not be defeated.”

““At @NationalNOW, we want to be that organization that is authentic, electing champions who are accountable and helping to create opportunities where we are #empowering and protecting #women and girls,” @ChrisFNunes says. ”

But change requires more than talk. Nunes adds, “We have to do more education on what it is like to be an ally and work on how to be effective allies. We assume if we’re fighting for a cause that everyone is on the same page, but we’re not.”

While there is criticism of white feminists, there is a growing rallying cry for Black feminism in action.

At a recent Northeastern University symposium, ”Black feminism, Black freedom,” Régine Michelle Jean-Charles, director of Africana studies, dean’s professor of culture and social justice and professor of Africana studies and women’s, gender and sexuality studies, said, “The compelling and too often elusive concept of freedom is one that has preoccupied Black feminists for centuries since the earliest conceptualization of the term and even before we have fought for, worked towards and strived for freedom,” reports Northeastern University.

Philanthropy reports, “The Black Feminist Fund is looking to raise $100 million to support nonprofits led by Black women, who have been historically underfunded in philanthropy. The fund, which launched in 2021, has raised $35 million of its goal so far.”

“But change requires more than talk. @ChrisFNunes adds, “We have to do more education on what it is like to be an ally and work on how to be effective allies. We assume if we’re fighting for a cause that everyone is on the same page, but we’re not.” #allyship #intersectional”

Last month, Black feminist organizations released an open letter “from some of philanthropy’s most influential organizations, including Melinda Gates’a Pivotal Ventures, Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, as well as the Ford Foundation and MacArthur Foundation,” according to Philanthropy.

Nunes sees the mission for equity and justice as intersectional.

“We have to see where we have to change and what we need to do generationally, racially, with faith, gender and disability, so we have authentic change,” Nunes says.

Yes, this change can happen in 10 to 15 years, she says. “What is beautiful is we want our members to create this world we all want to see. We encourage everyone to take a chance on NOW. “

Take The Lead Leadership Tip of The Week

“We want to be that organization that is authentic, electing champions who are accountable and helping to create opportunities where we are empowering and protecting women and girls.” — Christian Nunes, president of National Organization of Women.

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About the Author

Michele Weldon is editorial director of Take The Lead, an award-winning author, journalist, emerita faculty in journalism at Northwestern University and a senior leader with The OpEd Project. @micheleweldon www.micheleweldon.com