Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, Ph.D.

Marsha Coleman-Adebayo is a human rights and civil rights activist dedicated to bringing awareness and educating people about hostile, discriminatory, and prejudiced work environments, especially in the government, and recognizing signs. Her actions as a whistleblower on hostility and discrimination she faced at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drove her to lead a civil rights discrimination campaign in the famous case of Coleman-Adebayo v. Browner (2000).

Coleman-Adebayo grew up in Detroit, Michigan, during the time of the 1967 riots, which introduced her to the civil rights movement and the issues they faced. She volunteered at Black Panther-sponsored breakfast programs for children and, in her undergrad years, joined campus demonstrations against the racist apartheid government in South Africa. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College/Columbia University and her doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After moving to Maryland, she worked as a professor at American University and as a senior research analyst with the Congressional Black Caucus before beginning her tenure at the EPA in the 1990s as a Senior Policy Analyst.

Coleman-Adebayo’s fight for a workplace free of sexism, racism, and retaliation against whistleblowers started on August 18, 2000. Coleman-Adebayo won a historic lawsuit against the EPA based on race, sex, color discrimination, and a hostile work environment. She subsequently testified before Congress on two occasions. As a result, the Notification of Federal Employees Anti-discrimination and Retaliation Act (No FEAR) was introduced by Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Senator John Warner (R-VA). She provided the leadership for the passage of the No FEAR law signed by President George W. Bush. Millions of federal workers and their families have directly benefited from Coleman-Adebayo’s courageous sacrifice and the protections of the No FEAR law.

From the floor of the U.S. Senate, after the unanimous vote on the No FEAR Act, Senator John Warner called Coleman-Adebayo and told her, “Young lady, I am calling you from the well of the Senate floor. The United States Senate has just passed the No FEAR Act, the first civil rights law of this century – you have made history. Congratulations!” The No FEAR Act serves society by making it possible for federal employees to raise “red flags” when they see misconduct.

Coleman-Adebayo founded the No FEAR Institute, an organization devoted to educating the American public about federal sector discrimination and the implementation of the No FEAR Act. The No FEAR Institute co-sponsored two symposiums on vanadium poisoning in South Africa and New York.

In 2003, Good Housekeeping magazine selected her as its “Woman of the Year.” The National Whistleblower Center has characterized her as one of the most influential “truth-tellers” in the country. TIME Magazine has called her the Rosa Parks of the 21st century for her bravery in the face of workplace intimidation. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) in June 2007. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) recognized Dr. Coleman-Adebayo’s leadership in the civil rights movement at its 50th anniversary gala in Atlanta, Georgia. The Montgomery County Chapter of the NAACP awarded Coleman-Adebayo its 2016 Unsung Hero Award.

Coleman-Adebayo authored the Pulitzer-nominated book NO FEAR: A Whistleblower’s Triumph over Corruption and Retaliation at the EPA (2011).

“Whistle-blowers are the ambassadors of democracy inside federal agencies.” - Marsha Coleman-Adebayo