The Thurgood Marshall College Fund has announced Sean Perryman as the inaugural executive director of The Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice. The center will be interdisciplinary research and action-based center launching this year. The mission of the center is to advance research on social justice and to support change through new policies or programs that foster racial equity in America. Perryman will lead the overall operations and fiscal management of the center, including the launching of key programming initiatives, as well as represent the center with key stakeholders such as corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies.
“Structural racism, economic inequality, and the COVID-19 pandemic have converged with devastating impact, especially for Black communities,” said Perryman. “We have a powerful opportunity – and obligation – to radically reimagine and rebuild a more just society. I look forward to building an innovative center that leverages the power of culture, advocacy, and direct action to create real change in the lives of historically underserved and marginalized populations.”
Prior to joining TMCF, Perryman served as director of social impact policy at the Internet Association leading the association’s efforts on diversity in tech, immigration, and its racial justice strategy. Earlier, Perryman served as the youngest-ever president of the Fairfax County NAACP, which he helped grow to be Virginia’s largest chapter. He ran an unsuccessful campaign earlier this year to become the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor of Virginia.
Perryman is a graduate of Baruch College of the City University of New York. He earned a juris doctorate at Vanderbilt University Law School.
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund represents the publicly-supported historically Black colleges and universities and predominantly Black institutions that enroll nearly 80 percent of all students attending Black colleges and universities.
