(she/her/hers)

Saida is a longtime cultural organizer, activist, and seasoned nonprofit leader. She has guided statewide advocacy efforts promoting the rights of LGBTQ youth in foster care, education, and juvenile justice, winning critical new protections, and directed national art  actions uplifting the visibility of Black girls, women, and LGBTQ communities. Founder of the Rooted Collective, a gathering of Black LGBTQ healing justice activists in Baltimore, Saida is dedicated to building radical healing spaces that move us towards freedom. 

Saida is the President of Funders for LGBTQ Issues, a philanthropic support organization ​​working to increase the scale and impact of philanthropic resources aimed at enhancing the well-being of LGBTQ communities, promoting equity, and advancing racial, economic and gender justice

In November 2017, Saida was named a Movement Maker by the Move to End Violence, a program of the NoVo Foundation. A graduate Cave Canem Fellow, she has received honors for her art and activism from the Baltimore Sun, R.W. Deutsch Foundation, Leeway Foundation, and the Blue Mountain Center. She holds a Masters of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania.