Charles Stephens

Charles Stephens is the Founder and Executive Director of the Counter Narrative Project (CNP). Over the course of his career, he has been actively engaged in the fields of nonprofit leadership, journalism, and the arts. As a narrative strategist, he has been committed to utilizing storytelling as a strategy to advance social change. Charles has been and continues to be active in community organizations with current board or advisory board service for Actor’s Express Theater Company, Canopy Atlanta, the Center for HIV Law and Policy, and the Morehouse School of Medicine HIV Health Equity Task Force. His past advisory board service has included the Atlanta Mayor’s LGBTQ Advisory Board, Historic Atlanta, and the Atlanta Public Schools LGBTQIA Task Force. In recognition of his civic and social justice leadership, Charles was awarded the Georgia State University College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award, named to the VOX ATL Hall of Fame, and listed as one of OUT Georgia’s 100 Most Influential LGBTQ+ Georgians. In addition to his passion for public service, he has published Op-Eds and essays in such publications as Nonprofit Quarterly, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), Atlanta Magazine, and the Advocate.