About First Lady Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo

Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo

Education & Background

Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo received her A.B. Degree from Barnard College/Columbia University and her doctorate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Originally from Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Maryland 35 years ago to assume a faculty position at American University. She is the only child of the late Mr. Samuel Coleman and Mrs. Majestice Thompson Coleman, and enjoys the love and adoration of her aunt, Mrs. Ruth Whitley. She is the proud mother of two wonderful children, Olusina and Folasade.

The No FEAR Act

Dr. Coleman-Adebayo is the author of the Pulitzer-nominated book No Fear: A Whistleblower's Triumph over Corruption and Retaliation at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Her fight for a workplace free of sexism, racism, and retaliation against whistleblowers began in 1990. She won a historic lawsuit against the EPA on the basis of race, sex, color discrimination, and a hostile work environment, and subsequently testified before Congress on two occasions.

As a result of her testimony and advocacy, the Notification of Federal Employees Anti-Discrimination and Retaliation Act (No FEAR Act) was introduced by Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and Senator John Warner (R-VA). Dr. Coleman-Adebayo provided the leadership for the passage of the No FEAR law, which was signed by President George W. Bush. Millions of federal workers and their families have directly benefited from her courageous sacrifice and the protections of the No FEAR law.

She is the founder of the No FEAR Institute, an organization devoted to educating the American public about federal sector discrimination and the implementation of the No FEAR law. The No FEAR Institute co-sponsored two symposia in South Africa and New York on vanadium poisoning.

Recognition & Awards

Dr. Coleman-Adebayo's courage and impact have been recognized by some of the nation's most respected institutions:

• Good Housekeeping Magazine "Woman of the Year" (2003)

• TIME Magazine called her "the Rosa Parks of the 21st century" for her bravery in the face of workplace intimidation

• The National Whistleblower Center recognized her as one of the most influential "truth-tellers" in the nation

• Inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), June 2007

• Recognized by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at its 50th Anniversary Gala in Atlanta, Georgia

• Montgomery County Chapter NAACP 2016 Unsung Hero Award

• Inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame

She serves on the boards of Expose Facts and the National Whistleblower Center.