About
Crystal Byrd Farmer is an engineer turned educator from Gastonia, North Carolina. She has been an organizer and speaker as part of the cohousing and polyamorous communities. She is the website editor for Black & Poly, an organization promoting healthy polyamorous relationships for people of color. She also serves on the Editorial Review Board of Communities Magazine published by the Foundation for Intentional Community. Crystal is passionate about encouraging people to change their perspectives on diversity, relationships, and the world.
Featured Work
The Token: Common Sense Ideas for Increasing Diversity in Your Organization
Community leaders of all types want to create spaces that are safe and welcoming for everyone. Whether it is a cohousing community or activist group, most organizations want some diversity among their membership. As a queer Black organizer, I’ve been asked many times, “How do I get more diversity in my group?” Written with a candid and concise voice, The Token describes the experiences of marginalized people in community--people of color, LGBTQ+, disabled, lower income, and others--and explains why they avoid organizations led by people with privilege. I use insightful anecdotes to describe common mistakes made by leaders and the steps to create truly inclusive organizations.
