This Black History Month, we celebrate Donavon’s resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to building a more just and compassionate society.
At JAMLAC, we are honored to spotlight Donavon Bright, our Development Coordinator, whose passion for advocacy and justice has made a lasting impact on the communities we serve. Before joining JAMLAC, Donavon was a community coordinator for the Be Heard Mile High initiative, a groundbreaking research project that gathered insights from Black Coloradans on key social issues to drive policy changes. His passion for social justice stems from a deep understanding that movements require both organized people and organized resources to create lasting change. With expertise in writing, grassroots organizing, and strategic engagement, Donavon has found his calling in development work, ensuring JAMLAC has the support needed to expand legal assistance for marginalized communities.
Donavon’s commitment to justice is deeply personal. Influenced by Black leaders like Audre Lorde, he draws strength from past generations who defied oppression to build a more equitable world. His passion was cemented in the summer of 2020, when he marched daily in solidarity with Black and Latino communities, witnessing firsthand the power of intersectionality and collective action. In 2021, he endured the heartbreaking loss of his father to COVID-19, a moment that reshaped his perspective on grief, resilience, and the urgency of advocacy. Rather than allowing grief to consume him, Donavon transformed it into fuel for his mission, working for a health nonprofit before bringing his expertise and passion to JAMLAC.
Today, Donavon envisions JAMLAC expanding its legal services to better support Black domestic violence survivors and older adults, ensuring that the most vulnerable have access to justice. Beyond his professional work, he is an avid reader and writer, using storytelling and literature as tools for self-reflection and education. His advice to those seeking to create change? Start in your own neighborhood, learn your local leaders, and never stop reading. Knowledge is power, and how we use it defines the impact we make. His journey is a reflection of the strength of the human spirit and the belief that justice is built, step by step, through the relentless work of those who refuse to accept the status quo.
This Black History Month, we celebrate Donavon’s resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to building a more just and compassionate society.