Safara Malone (she/her)

National Transgender Youth Activist, and Harvard Class of 2027

Safara Malone is a Black trans-woman from Texas and a national transgender youth activist. She’s a First-year at Harvard College and a first-generation, low-income college student. Her work began as part of the Roses Council, sponsored by GSA Network, filled with trans girls of color nationwide. It was through this program she found a passion for helping young girls find their identities. Safara has been able to meet some of the biggest names in trans advocacy, even speaking alongside members of the Transgender Law Center in an intergenerational advocacy panel. She has spoken with the Huff Post, led national transgender justice events, and has been featured in the Dallas Morning News, Texas Tribune, Austin Chronicle, Harvard Political Review, Harvard Crimson, and The Associated Press on her activism. She has experience speaking at the Texas capitol against anti-trans legislation, and being featured in a documentary entitled "You're Loved".

In addition to this work, She is also part of a community advisory board for a research project building trans-affirming sex education, sponsored by the University of Washington and Seattle University. Previously, Safara was the Central Texas regional coordinator for the Texas GSA. She has even pursued forms of education for her work, in a Black trans-centered organizing program at the Transgender Law Center, entitled the Fierce Freedom School, where she was the only teenager in the program's history.

In the summer of ‘23, she interned at Equality Texas, Currently, she holds a policy intern position at Transgender Education Network Texas (TENT), the largest state-wide Transgender advocacy organization in the country. Outside of her advocacy work, she was the youngest person in the Texas Kiki Ballroom scene. Since attending Harvard, she has been involved with TransHarvard, and its conference, which in 2023 was the largest trans-centered, trans student-run event in world history, and has since become Co-chair of the organization. Earlier this year she was featured on the IHeartMedia podcast, Queer Chronicles, discussing her experiences in Texas as a Black transgender woman. Currently, she is an intern at the American Civil Liberties Union, leading queer policy.

Her list of awards is just as extensive. She was awarded the African American National Recognition from the College Board during her Senior Year of High school. In June 2023, Safara was awarded the Trailblazer Award, issued by the Human Rights Campaign of San Antonio, More recently, she was honored with the inaugural Activist Award by the Harvard Generational African American Students Association as well as the Harvard College Civic Engagement Award, honoring the first year with the most extensive commitment to equity and public service.

She thinks her visibility during this contentious time for trans youth could be a beacon of light for other Black trans youth to look to for representation, showing that despite the systems built against trans people, they can break through and live happy lives.