Bernadette Allen is one of Arise’s newest staff members, joining our team as the Southwest Alabama organizer in May 2025. Like many other staff members, she began her career in a different field before joining Alabama Arise.

Bernadette worked in the federal government for 18 years, retiring last May. In her free time, she sought opportunities to serve her community by volunteering with Stand Up Mobile and Black Voters Matter. Her colleagues and friends suggested she apply at Arise. And as she says, “The rest is history.”

In less than a year, Bernadette has learned a great deal from her colleagues on the organizing team.

“Formeeca and Tamela have suggested we use video shorts on social media platforms to engage young people in our work. I believe their vision will soon be a major medium through which we attract new Arise groups, individual members, partners and employees,” she says.

She’s especially fond of Arise’s longest-serving organizer, Stan Johnson.

“I would like to trade places with [Stan] as long as I had access to the knowledge he has gleaned from at least half of his lived experiences, personally and professionally,” she says. “To me he is the ‘triple OG’ of organizing.”

She’s learned to practice self care to do her job as well as she can.

“I care for myself by intentionally balancing work and personal life activities,” she says. “I treat myself to fine dining, live entertainment, golfing and traveling multiple times in a year.”

A Mobile native, Bernadette loves celebrating Mardi Gras.

“Alabamians and tourists celebrate the season in harmony without regard for race, color, religion, gender, sexuality or socioeconomic status.”

Bernadette has lots of dreams for her tenure at Arise. She’d love to bring more young people into our work and hopes to have Arise active in as many areas of the state as possible.

Members have had an impact on Bernadette. She sees them as integral to our mission and looks forward to all the ways she can continue to work with them. From attending events like listening sessions and Legislative Day to sharing action alerts, members make Arise’s mission a reality.

Bernadette is an unmistakable new force at Arise, and she’s excited to see what’s next.

“I have a passion for advocating for people who are marginalized in any way, shape or form,” she says. “I make no apologies for meeting the moment with the same energy and enthusiasm that comes from the opposition.”