UBA Action Fund
The UBA consists of two separate organizations – the United Black Agenda, a 501(c)(3), which focuses on charitable, educational, and training programs to advance policies that support the Black community, as well as the United Black Agenda Political Action Fund, a 501(c)(4), which promotes the social welfare of Black New Jerseyans through community outreach and engagement in the political process. While the two organizations share many underlying goals, they are distinct.
The United Black Agenda Action Fund 501(c)(4) is comprised of individuals. It was created by Rev. Eric Dobson, Rev. Dr. Charles Boyer, Taiisa Kelly, Richard Smith, Carolyn Chang, Jerome Harris, Ryan P. Haygood, and Lanisha Makle-Ridley.
The UBA Action Fund is open to membership by any individual who wants to advance and raise up Black New Jerseyans.
As a collective that maximizes the way we leverage our influence on behalf of Black constituents, we are using every tool in our arsenal — from grassroots organizing and policy work, to the pulpit and the courtroom, to the Statehouse and US Capitol — to advance Black health and wealth for generations to come.
No longer will political figures show up at our churches and in our neighborhoods only during election time, give a few preachers and people an appointment, and call that progress.
Rev. Dr. Charles Boyer
Founding Director, Salvation & Social Justice
Vice-President UBA Action Fund
OUR TEAM
Leadership
Rev. Eric Dobson
President
Rev. Eric Dobson is Deputy Director at Fair Share Housing Center and President of the United Black Agenda. He is an ordained minister and holds a B.A. in Religion from Temple University. He founded Planting Seeds of Hope, a non-profit focused on youth development and education and is the co-founder of Open Communities LLC, a racial integration consultant firm. Eric served as the PA Clergy Outreach Director for Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential Campaign.
Rev. Dr. Charles Franklin Boyer
Vice-President
The Reverend Dr. Charles Franklin Boyer is a third-generation African Methodist Episcopal preacher. He is the pastor of Greater Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church in Trenton, New Jersey, and the founder of Salvation and Social Justice. Charles works closely with the Black Legislative Caucus and is a co-convener of the United Black Agenda and the NJ Black Multi-Faith Alliance. He has been recognized as one of New Jersey’s 25 most influential African Americans by the South Jersey Journal, a Game Changer by the NAACP, a Torch Bearer by the ACLU, a Movement Maker by NJ Working Families, and a Community Servant by NJ Citizen Action.
Ryan P. Haygood
Secretary
Ryan P. Haygood is a nationally respected civil rights lawyer and the President & CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Prior to leading the Institute, Ryan served as Deputy Director of Litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. Ryan speaks and writes regularly on issues concerning race, law, social justice, democracy and power. Ryan received his J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law and a B.A. in American History and Political Science cum laude from Colorado College, where he was nominated for a Rhodes Scholarship and earned academic and athletic All-American and hall of fame honors as a football player. Ryan is a Trustee and Vice-Chair of the Board of Colorado College and a member of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
Mayor Emeritus Carolyn V. Chang, Esq.
Treasurer
Carolyn V. Chang is an exceptional attorney who practices Family Law in Burlington County, New Jersey. In addition to her legal practice, Carolyn has shared her talents as a public servant in the capacity of Mayor and Committeewoman for the Township of Westampton, New Jersey. In 2016, she was honored by the Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey as a “Woman Breaking Barriers” and has received numerous awards and accolades for her contributions to the extended community. She was named Woman of the Year by Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Delta Zeta Chapter; Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of Central & Southern New Jersey; and a “Woman Worthy of Honor” by Instruments of Righteousness Evangelistic Ministries, Inc. Carolyn attended Rutgers University for both undergraduate and graduate studies and was inducted into the 2018 Rutgers African American Alliance Hall of Fame.
