Collections by Michelle Brown WSG Mary Anne Adams of Zami NOBLA

Mary Anne Adams is Founder and Executive Director of ZAMI NOBLA the National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging a service, advocacy and community-based research organization for Black lesbians 40 years old and older.

She founded and developed the Audre Lorde Scholarship Fund, an international fund that awarded over $250,000 in scholarship monies and expenses to out LGBT scholars of color of all ages from 1997-2008. In 2015, the Scholarship fund redirected its focus to award funds only to Black lesbians and lesbians of color over 40 years of age attending accredited academic institutions in the United States.

Adams received her B.A. in Sociology and Social Work from the University of Mississippi and a master’s in social work from Georgia State University.
A twelve-year breast cancer survivor, Mary Anne served as an inaugural member of the LGBT National Advisory Council for Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. In 2018, she was awarded an achievement award by the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association for promoting equality in healthcare for LGBTQ people.
Adams has served on the boards of several organizations and was an inaugural member of the LGBT Advisory Council to the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta as well as one of the founding members of the Atlanta Black LGBT Coalition.
Although her focus has been on the African American lesbian community, she uses her seat at the table to also advocate for other marginalized groups. Adams has served as Director of the Community Engagement Core within the Center of Excellence for Health Disparities Research in GSU’s School of Public Health. She has directed multiple research projects at both Emory and GSU since the 1990’s.
In all her activities Mary Anne Adams promotes social justice, human rights and social/health equity access through education, advocacy, public policy and research, resource development and multi-generational building.