A message from Cidra M. Sebastien,
Associate Executive Director 
The Brotherhood/Sister Sol
Dear Bro/Sis Community,

It is with deep gratitude that I announce that at the end of 2019, I will be transitioning from my current role as the Associate Executive Director of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol. As of December 31 st  2019, I will no longer be a part of the Bro/Sis Staff. 

I am leaving Bro/Sis with a heart full of joy. My departure is an opportunity for rest and reflection – taking a much needed breath from answering the calling to nurture and arm young people, and an opportunity for reimagining and repurposing – exploring other joys and opportunities for transformative work. 

I have worked at Bro Sis for 18 years – and while I am departing my position as Associate Executive Director, I will always be a part of Bro/Sis and will continue to support the organization in anyway that I can. 

During the fall, I will work with Bro/Sis leadership to train existing staff, hire and train new staff, bridge external connections, and transition in excellence. 

When I began my journey with The Brotherhood/Sister Sol in the summer of 1999 as the college intern, there was no way to fathom the next two decades would include Bro/Sis as such an integral part of my life. 

After my graduation from Hampton University in 2001, I became full-time staff and my first assignment was co-leading our International Study Program in Ghana under the leadership of then Co-Executive Director Susan Wilcox and current Executive Director Khary Lazarre-White. The lessons I learned that summer – largely from the young people! – set me off on the right track. From there, I would go on to partner with Associate Director Wendy De Jesus and many other Sister Sol Chapter Leaders to hold space for girls through Rites of Passage programming and with Co-Founder and Associate Executive Director Jason Warwin and many other Liberation Program Facilitators to hold space for young people of all genders to tap into their leadership skills and extend the legacy of youth activists changing the City, country and the world. 

A two-decade period at a single institution is an anomaly. The memories I cherish most include the hundreds of young people I have been blessed to mentor and learn from; my work to deepen the programmatic impact of Sister Sol and Liberation Program; my Citywide and national policy work to amplify our members’ voices and effect positive change in their lifetime; and my bonds with some of the most capable and compassionate leaders on the planet – former and current Staff of Bro/Sis. 

Bro/Sis is indeed rare and precious. While resigning from Bro/Sis was a difficult decision, I am clear there are other rare and precious things I get to build and to which I will contribute. I choose to depart in order to pursue other personal and professional endeavors. I choose to do so knowing I have given my very best to an institution and group of people I have held dear for nearly half of my life. 

Thank you Bro/Sis.

Much love & respect,




Cidra M. Sebastien
Messages from The Board of Directors, Executive Director & Supporters of
The Brotherhood/Sister Sol
“Cidra has been an incredible and central part of Bro/Sis since 2001. She is a brilliant, passionate and fierce servant leader, advocate and organizer. No one has been more committed to our mission. Her contributions to Bro/Sis are too many to be counted and her love for our young people and our work is immeasurable. We thank her for all that she has given to Bro/Sis and we support her in this next step – and we know that she will continue to contribute to improving our world.”
– Khary Lazarre-White, Executive Director & Co-Founder, The Brotherhood/Sister Sol 

“Our love and admiration for Cidra is boundless. We will forever cherish her for her passion, dedication and generosity to the Bro/Sis family. While she will be missed, Cidra's impact on Bro/Sis will be felt years into the future. We look forward to supporting her in her future endeavors.”
- Rahsan Rahsan Lindsay & Clara Markowicz; Co-Chairs, Board of Directors,
The Brotherhood/Sister Sol  

“The New York Women’s Foundation celebrates Cidra Sebastien’s leadership and joins with The Brotherhood/Sister Sol in wishing her all the best as she transitions out of her role. Cidra is a shining example of transformational leadership. Her fierce commitment to and investment in young people and in Bro/Sis itself has been pivotal to its growth and impact. Bro/Sis is now a national model, showing what support, guidance, education and love makes possible for our youth. We look forward to continued partnership with Bro/Sis as they continue to advance justice and uplift the leadership and voices of young people.”
- Ana L. Oliveira, President & CEO, The New York Women’s Foundation 

“We join The Brotherhood/Sister Sol in honoring Cidra’s powerful leadership and her steadfast commitment to young people and their leadership, especially the leadership of girls and young women of color. Through Cidra’s leadership, Bro/Sis has been exemplary in modeling multi-layered support and youth development, providing opportunities through holistic education, programming and many other ways, creating access for members to live in their fullest agency and transform their lives and their communities. We wish Cidra the very best and support her transition as a healthy
milestone for the organization’s growth and look forward to her continued work in
creating a more just and loving world.”   
- Pamela Shifman, Executive Director; Jody Myrum, Director, Initiative to Advance Girls Rights; Ramatu Bangura, Program Officer, Initiative to Advance Girls Rights; and Tynesha McHarris, Program Officer, Initiative to Advance Girls Rights, NoVo Foundation