Consultants & Instructors

Rachel Hicks

About Rachel Hicks (They/Them/Theirs)

Rachel Hicks (they/them/theirs) is a Black Queer Feminist who has curated and created a space called the Black Velvet Collective – a space for Black trans, queer, cis woman, non-binary, femmes, and gender non-conforming individuals to gather and fellowship-, of which they are the Black Velveteen. Rachel is a graduate from the University of Memphis. They have been working in the DC non-profit sector since 2016. Currently, they are a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Consultant helping organizations build their capacity around safe and equitable workplaces. Rachel has organized a union at their workplace, created content specific to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and designed various webinars and presentations. Some of their webinars include: Birthing People: the Importance of Intersectionality in the Reproductive Justice Movement, How Do You Identify? The Importance of Intersectionality, and a four part Empowerment Series. They consult with nonprofit organizations about racial justice and equity issue areas. They have been studying transformative intersectional frameworks and continue to build their knowledge base around justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Rachel continues to hone their skills as a Black Queer Feminist and the Black Velveteen, using their lived experience as a guide.