BALTIMORE, MD (Wednesday, June 25, 2025) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced the appointment of Dr. Melanie Bryant as Director of Baltimore City Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs. Her leadership will play a crucial role in supporting the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community policies and initiatives that will benefit all residents within the City of Baltimore. Together with the existing team of LGBTQ+ officials and advocates, Dr. Bryant will work diligently to expand resources, advocate on behalf of community stakeholders, and enhance service delivery and opportunity access for residents Citywide.

"Dr. Bryant is joining the City at a critical moment in the fight for equity and LGBTQIA+ rights - and I can't think of a better leader to bring on board," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "All Baltimoreans, regardless of who they love or how they identify, deserve to live their lives freely and without fear or judgement. I'm grateful to Alexis Blackmon for championing that principle as Interim Director, and look forward to working with her and Dr. Bryant as we continue to expand resources and support for our LGBTQIA+ neighbors."

With over 15 years of dynamic leadership in social work, public health, and community-based advocacy, Dr. Bryant brings a powerful blend of expertise in African-centered and gerontological practice, ex-offender reentry, social justice, addictions, and culturally grounded policy development.

Dr. Bryant is the founder and CEO of Ujima Consulting Group, LLC, where she has successfully led over 30 non-profit organizations in raising more than $10 million through strategic fundraising and grant development. A visionary strategist, she has held prominent leadership roles including Executive Director of the Beautiful Gate Outreach Center, where she launched "The Hub," a groundbreaking safe space for BIPOC LGBTQIA+ individuals, and National Program Director of the National Association of Black Social Workers, where she advanced racial equity through policy advocacy and coalition building.

"I'm proud to be joining Mayor Scott's administration as Director of LGBTQ Affairs, especially right now - as our community faces renewed attacks from the federal level that demand renewed levels of support and care for LGBTQIA+ residents," said Dr. Melanie Bryant. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to do this work in Baltimore, a place that has served as a foundation for my professional and personal development. I look forward to working with Deputy Director Alexis Blackmon and the entire team to provide institutional programs, structures, and policies that support, nurture, and protect the LGBTQIA+ community."

Dr. Bryant's academic credentials include a B.A. in Psychology from Albright College, and both an MSW and Ph.D. in Social Work from Widener University, with her doctoral research focused on culturally centered foster parent training. A respected educator, she serves as an adjunct faculty member at Widener University, West Chester University, and Rutgers University, teaching courses in social policy, economic justice, and community social work practice.

Dr. Bryant's career has been marked by a consistent focus on addressing the systemic inequities impacting Black, Latinx, and LGBTQIA+ communities. From her early work in gun violence prevention and youth advocacy to her groundbreaking research and advocacy for culturally responsive foster care, she has championed the voices and needs of marginalized populations. As Dr. Bryant steps into her new role, Alexis Blackmon, will continue to serve the City of Baltimore and its LGBTQIA+ community as Deputy Director.

"It has been an honor to serve as Interim Director during this historic chapter for LGBTQIA+ advocacy in Baltimore. I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Melanie Bryant to the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs," said Alexis Blackmon, Deputy Director of the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs. "Her lived experience, bold leadership, and unwavering commitment to justice will be transformative for our city. I look forward to working alongside her as we deepen our impact, uplift our most vulnerable, and continue building a Baltimore where every identity is not just seen - but celebrated."

A native of Philadelphia, Dr. Bryant brings to Baltimore a deep passion for equity, community empowerment, and intersectional inclusion. She is honored to continue her journey of advocacy and leadership in service to the diverse and resilient LGBTQIA+ community of Baltimore.

As she often reflects, quoting Audre Lorde, "Without community, there is no liberation... but community must not mean a shedding of our differences, nor the pathetic pretense that these differences do not exist."