For Diamond Bell, justice work is not only a mission but a calling. As a Nashville native, Diamond experienced many struggles from a young age, as she watched her mother fight to provide for three children. These issues were exacerbated by losing her father at a young age. Growing up in a family with a lower socioeconomic status, Diamond experienced displacement and homelessness in middle school. With time, Diamond saw how these issues impacted her life, as well as the lives of those in her community. Reflecting on her life experiences, she became determined to not only succeed but to give back to her community.

A proud Metro Nashville Public Schools alum, Diamond graduated from Pearl-Cohn High School and attended Trevecca Nazarene University. While at Trevecca, Diamond was a part of a student organization called Walden, whose purpose was to make the voices of minority students heard and be acknowledged on a predominately white Christian campus.

During the Fall of 2021, leading into her senior year, Diamond took time off from school to become a full-time organizer with Stand Up Nashville after spending 2 years volunteering with the organization. She is most proud of the work she did organizing displaced residents through canvassing, holding resource events, and connecting residents with legal aid. In 2022, Diamond graduated from The Equity Alliance’s LiberTEA Collective Program, a leadership program designed to cultivate a talent pipeline of Black Tennesseans who are ready to transform our communities as rising civic leaders and democracy defenders.

Diamond wants to create a more equitable Nashville for marginalized communities and her work can be summed up with her quote, “I give back not because I have a lot to give but because I know what it’s like to be counted out and looked over.”