Gabriella Biello was a freshman at Allentown High School when she was facing bullying after coming out as gay. Despite contacting the administration, the school did nothing to help.
Biello says, “I was so ashamed of who I was. I was determined to hide. I tried becoming as small as possible until I could graduate.”
That’s when she found the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRCSJ), a non-profit organization that provides, “Advocacy in all arenas for those who are marginalized, forgotten, bullied or otherwise underserved by the present systems in place,” according to their website.
The center was founded in 2018 by Robt Seda-Schreiber, who began his career as a middle school art teacher. Following many achievements, like establishing one of the first Gay-Straight Alliances in middle school, he was named National Education Association Social Activist of the Year in 2017.
Seda-Schreiber’s next step was to create the BRCSJ. Not only is he the founder, he is also the Chief Activist of the organization.
The BRCSJ is named after civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, an openly gay, Black man who died in 1987. He worked behind the scenes to organize the March on Washington during the Civil Rights movement in the 60s.
“We are on a path of growth to try and connect with more centers around the country, and with any luck we will have Bayard Rustin Centers in all states, and saying ‘Hey, you’re always welcome here. You always have a family and a community here.’”
-Erin Worrell, BRCSJ Board President
Seda-Schreiber says, “Bayard Rustin has always been a hero of mine…Because of who he was and who he loved, he was never really acknowledged for all the incredible, great and good work he did.”
Seda-Schreiber contacted Rustin’s partner Walter Naegle to ask for permission to use Rustin’s name for the organization, and he approved.
On March 19, 2022, the BRCSJ opened their new home at 12 Stockton Street in Princeton following the loss of their original space during the pandemic. They called it the: Coming Out Party & Open House to Welcome (Back) our Community!
The new space allows for hybrid events, marrying their online viewership with their local community.
Erin Worrell, BRCSJ Board President said, “Being able to do our events hybrid that way lets us not lose the audience and the community we’ve built.”
During the pandemic, BRCSJ created their online show the “Social Justice Power Hour.” It live-streamed on Facebook every weeknight. Their viewership came from all over the U.S. and internationally as well.
By accommodating more people, the BRCSJ is able to not only host larger events but also provide services to more people. For Biello, the center helped her find a lawyer who took on her case pro bono and won it.
“I was a broken child when I met Robt, but now I am strong, confident and a proud young woman,” said Biello at the open house event.
Biello is now a high school junior, an executive member of her school’s student government, a student journalist, president of her school’s robotics club and the Youth Outreach Liaison at the BRCSJ. Her mother, Natalie Biello, is the Birth Justice Coordinator and Community Organizer at BRCSJ. She is also a doula, a person trained to give guidance and support to pregnant women. She helps mothers, especially mothers of color, to ensure they are being supported and treated fairly by medical professionals during and after their pregnancy.
Natalie Biello says, “It’s really just about education and support. Making sure that they’re being heard by their doctors and midwives.”
Along with advocacy, the BRCSJ works with various businesses and schools to educate everyone on inclusivity and diversity. Their physical space provides a shelter for those who need a place to go to.
Mark Freda, Mayor of Princeton, who attended the open house event, said, “The more safe spaces we have here in Princeton, the better we are as a community, the better it is for everybody”
Since its inception, the BRCSJ, which has received recognition from former President Obama and Seda-Schreiber has been recognized for his efforts, including receiving a PROUD Human Rights Advocacy Award from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in 2021.
The center has hosted and supported numerous LGBTQ+ pride events, vigils for Black Lives Matter, story hours for children, and built connections and alliances with schools and other organizations and community groups around the state. The BRCSJ has also helped organize the Families Belong Together rally in support of immigrant families.
“Some people are like ‘You spend weeks helping one kid,’ but you see the results of it. You see that it’s life-altering. What people may not realize is it may be one life, but that ripples out over and over, and again and again, and makes an exponential difference,” Seda-Schreiber says.
In the future, the BRCSJ hopes to expand, opening more centers. They have already partnered with the Akron AIDS Collaborative in Akron, Ohio.
Board President of the BRCSJ Erin Worrell says, “We are on a path of growth to try and connect with more centers around the country, and with any luck, we will have Bayard Rustin Centers in all states, and saying ‘Hey, you’re always welcome here. You always have a family and a community here.’”
