Toni Newman

2025 Health Justice Champion

Toni Newman is the Director of The Coalition for Justice and Equality Across Movements at NMAC in Washington DC. She was previously the Interim CEO of the Black AIDS Institute and Interim President of the LYRIC Youth Foundation. Toni is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors for TransCanWork. She serves as the Membership Chair of the California Black Leadership Council and appointed member to the Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board.

Toni was the Interim Director of Employment Services at the SF LGBT Center, Executive Director for St. James Infirmary, and the Director of Development for Maitri Compassionate Care AIDS Hospital. She previously served as the Interim Director of Development & Communications at To Help Everyone Health and Wellness Centers and as a Strategic Fundraiser, Volunteer Recruiter, and Legislative Aide for Equality California. 

Toni is a graduate of Wake Forest University and a current candidate for her Juris of Doctorate (JD). In 2024, Toni received awards from the National Bar Association LGBTQ Division, Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, Anthem Awards and The Williams Institute of the UCLA School of Law for Unity and Leadership.

Additionally, Toni is a best-selling author, noted for her memoir I Rise -The Transformation of Toni Newman, released in 2011. Her memoir was based on the poem I Rise by the late Wake Forest University Reynolds Professor Dr. Maya Angelou. In 2025, her second book, Living My Authentic Life in an Unapologetic World, will be released. Toni and her partner of 21 years, Alton Willoughby, live in Hollywood Hills, CA.