With a deep well of sadness, we at the USDAC are sharing the news that our beloved friend and Co-Director, Brienne Colston, passed away last week.
Bri had been battling health challenges for the past several months, and while her recovery journey had been up and down, this is still an absolute shock to all of us. We are heartbroken.
Bri was an integral part of the USDAC family. She was a visionary and strategic leader, an unbelievable partnership builder, and someone who could make just about anything happen. But more important is how she made her way through the world.
Bri brought sunlight into every room she entered. She was warm, hilarious, generous, and completely herself at all times. When a conversation needed more energy, Bri brought it. When a room needed to laugh, Bri found the joke. When the rest of us were stuck, she had a way of helping us find our way forward.
We wanted to share some memories and thoughts from each of the team members individually, and we invite you to write back to us with yours.
From Carol:
“Caring for myself is not self indulgence. It is self preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
—Audre Lorde, A Burst of Light: Essays
As a disabled, fat, Black queer femme from the Bronx, Bri lived every day knowing that her individual struggle was a microcosm of our larger political struggles. Bri’s struggle became our team’s struggle, and that’s what makes Bri’s passing feel so personal and difficult. Like her Instagram namesake Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones, a show which Bri so delightfully recapped via Instagram stories, Bri was a larger than life fighter with an unshakable sense of justice. She commanded every room she entered with her laughter, style, intuition for facilitation, and self assuredness. Thank you for knowing and celebrating the profundity of your existence. Thank you for lighting up our world.
From Kelly:
Bri was the true embodiment of a Leo: warm, loving, creative. Her smile and energy brightened any space she entered (even over Zoom, which is an incredible feat). She had this ineffable quality about her that I can only describe as presence. She felt strongly, lived fiercely, and shared generously. I will miss her storytelling, her laughter, and her optimism. Bri believed that a better world is possible, and I have complete certainty that this new world we are building towards will have her spirit woven into its fabric.
From Jordan:
For me, Bri was the bright sun to my moon. Where I was quiet and introverted, she was the life of the party. When I would spin myself into a knot over an operational decision, she could break the mental block with a joke. When we facilitated together, I could handle the logistics and the introductions, knowing that Bri would make everyone feel connected once the real conversation began. I don't think I will ever meet another person quite like her.
Bri's impact extends far beyond the USDAC. She built relationships everywhere she went, and so many people came to know her as a collaborator, organizer, friend, mentor, and source of joy. The community she helped build is enormous, and we know that many of you are grieving alongside us.
If you'd like to support Bri's family during this time, please donate to this GoFundMe link.
For now, we are trying to remember what Bri gave us: laughter, connection, generosity, and an incredible capacity to make people feel like they belonged.
And if there is someone in your life who shines like Bri shined, please tell them.
