Meet Morgan Grant

Morgan Grant, Graduate Fellow, Center for Health Equity and Evaluation Research Texas A&M School of Public Health

Class of 2023 BEQ Pride LGBTQ Leader Under 40  morgan Grant

Pronouns: He, Him

Age: 33

Who or what inspires your leadership purpose? And why?

My mom is my rock, and she instilled in me the importance of education at a young age. She also taught me that no matter how smart I was, I needed to always have a big heart. She raised me to be compassionate, and as the leader of our household, she’s the first person I’d ever known to be a servant leader. And Beyonce – my idol – to me, she represents what it means to center other people at the core of her artistry. So, I hope to convey servanthood in my leadership and representation of others who oftentimes feel invisible. ~Morgan Grant

No attribute “is more central to the human condition than one’s identity,” according to Morgan Grant. 

Morgan is a Doctoral student at Texas A&M University School of Public Health and a Graduate Fellow at the Center for Health Equity and Evaluation Research. His research agenda includes HIV/STD prevention in at-risk populations and suicide prevention in adolescents. “Our identity —the global Pride community— is rooted in belonging, resilience, and service,” according to Morgan. Morgan reflects on an African proverb, “smooth seas do not make skillful sailors,” when thinking about his life’s journey to this point. 

He was raised in rural South Georgia, along with his twin sister and younger brother. “My mother stressed the value of hard work and education to end our economic hardships,” says Morgan. In South Georgia, he witnessed a “modern kind” of racism —a gentle brutality marked by underestimation, dog-whistling, and gerrymandering. He has witnessed stigma and homophobia as an LGBTQ+ individual. Morgan’s pride in his identity is inextricably linked, “I’m no prouder to be Black than I am to be gay, nor am I prouder to be gay than I am Black.” But in the communities that he thought were safe, he soon realized that his Blackness was not welcomed in one and his gayness not accepted in the other. These experiences compelled him to advocate not only for himself but for those who have gone unheard, are underrepresented, and felt invisible for far too long. 

Morgan is dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by HIV and has served as a Board Member of Prism Health North Texas. He created a sexual health empowerment program as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow. He would later receive the 2019 Outstanding Service and Leadership for Emerging Professionals Award for his long-standing community efforts and work to address health inequities in the community. 

Morgan’s life journey is evidence of the power of the human spirit and the value of hard work. Along with his siblings, they are each realizing the truth of the American dream. He knows that “one’s less-than-ideal origins or present dreary circumstances cannot stop them from achieving even the loftiest of goals.” Morgan hopes to continue to do for others what they cannot do themselves. Over the next decade, he hopes more individuals in the LGBTQ+/SGL community become “skillful sailors” and demand more than ever that race, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, or economic circumstances are not hindrances to reaching the American dream. As a cisgender, gay person of color, Morgan feels a sense of responsibility to advocate for others and inspire future generations to follow suit.

To learn about more leaders recognized by BEQ Pride, visit https://businessequalitymagazine.com/MoreLeaders.

To connect with this leader, visit https://linkedin.com/in/morganjg2