Recreating Home: Justice Over Everything with Byron Green-Calisch

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“So many organizations have led with an identity based approach and disregarded an intersectional approach. How do we support those in the margins of the margins. We built Justice Over Everything with the thought that if we build for the most marginalized we create a safety net for us all. We are working across a state that is a training ground for the most insidious legislation across the country. Building coalitions in that space is both survival work and challenging.

The system must be addressed but ignoring those ensnarled in it while we rebuild is callous. We must do both simultaneously; Help the people and address the systems. We can’t do this work alone; community care is a strategy for both!”

–Dr. Byron Green-Calisch

Dr. Byron Green-Calisch shares how he turned 14 years of higher education and leadership research into consulting, public media work, and activism in Florida. He shares how racialized campus crime alerts and gaps in leadership education shaped his scholarship and pushed him to claim roles as educator, activist, and healer, grounded in collective liberation and a desire to help the helpers.

Byron also tells the origin story of the cookout moment that led him to co-found Justice Over Everything with State Rep. Michele Rayner, Esq., a coalition-based social justice center that leads with an intersectional approach dedicated to activating, fortifying, and uplifting communities in the margins of the margins.

This Organizational Histories segment covers:

• The pivotal moment when Dr. Green-Calisch realized it was time for “us” to step into leadership roles, rather than waiting on our elders
• The foundation and origin story of Justice Over Everything, a center uniting coalitions, legal resources, leadership development, and authentic community partnerships
• Navigating public media, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility work, and finding authentic organizational support for social change
• The life-changing impact of mentors, ancestors, and chosen family in shaping activism
• Why support networks, vulnerability, and self-care are central to collective liberation
• Lessons for future generations: never stop fighting, tell your story, and honor those whose struggles paved the way

We talk about the importance of intergenerational work, supporting the helpers, and why creating spaces for activism and healing are necessary for lasting change.

Meet Byron

Dr. Byron Anthony Green-Calisch is a seasoned People and Culture leader and Executive Coach with15 years of expertise in developing and implementing impactful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. He holds a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctorate of Education from North Carolina State University. His educational and research background centers in the intersection of Adult Education and D.E.I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).

As the Executive Vice President of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Accessibility at PRX, he spearheaded a comprehensive DEI strategy, resulting in a notable 20% increase in employee engagement. With a background in senior leadership, collaboration, program development, communication, resource management, and metrics reporting, Dr. Green-Calisch has significantly contributed to fostering inclusive organizational cultures.

In addition to his role at PRX, he serves as the Founder of Green Phoenix Solutions Coaching and Consulting, providing executive coaching and bespoke DEI strategies for clients in various sectors. Dr. Green-Calisch also analyzes organizational equity, develops DEI strategies, and facilitates training programs. Building on his experiences and worldwide contacts, Dr. Green-Calisch created a successful consultancy that focuses on Executive Coaching building assessments and bringing the coach approach to Educational Roadmaps that center Equity and Inclusion. Dr. Green-Calisch has been credentialed as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Through this consultancy Dr. Green-Calisch has had the opportunity to work with statewide health systems, nationwide banks, world wide companies in both music and media, and a previous president’s philanthropic organization.

Dr. Green-Calisch has recently joined forces with Representative Michele Rayner to start a social justice center called Justice Over Everything. This organization centers intersectionality in its support of community members. It operates at the Individual level providing support to those who have been caught in the legal system, builds coalitions to further impact, and systemically to ensure we address the root cause of our issues.

Dr. Green-Calisch’s impact extends beyond corporate settings, where he has served as President of St. Pete Pride (the state’s largest Pride organization), demonstrating his commitment to community service. With a strong foundation in research, coaching, and a proven track record in higher education administration, he brings a wealth of experience to drive positive change in DEI across diverse contexts.

His experience as a Non-Profit VP of DEI, corporate trainer, and peer-reviewed researcher led him to become an advocate for equity in all spaces, partnership, and collaboration. Dr. Green-Calisch believes in taking action, and building on one’s strengths and experiences to create a life and work that is Inclusive, flexible, energizing, and financially rewarding.

Follow Byron

Connect on Instagram @Dr_BGC and @Justice_over_Everything

Name Drops and Appreciations from Byron

Michele Rayner, Esq., Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Claudette Colvin, Bayard Rustin, James Baldwin, audre lorde, Dr. Angela Davis, Harvey Milk, Byron’s parents, his husband, Dr. David Johns of The National Black Justice Collective (NBJC), Kerri Hoffman

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Social Justice Origin Stories is produced, edited, and hosted by Relando Thompkins-Jones