Black Girl Freedom Week 2024!
Schedule
The #1Billion4BlackGirls campaign and G4GC’s Black Girl Freedom Fund hosted our 4th annual Black Girl Freedom Week on February 12-18, 2024. This week-long series of events was part of a campaign to mobilize a $1 billion investment in Black girls and gender-expansive youth in 10 years. This year’s theme was “A Future of Justice and Democracy.” Programs throughout the week highlighted the urgent issues facing young people today, including affirmative action, reproductive justice, and voting.
Monday, February 12, 2024
3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
Welcome to Black Girl Freedom Week 2024!
Welcome to our 4th annual BGFW 2024 with Dr. Monique Couvson, President & CEO of G4GC, and a co-founder of the #1Billion4BlackGirls.
Affirmative Action: Facts, Fiction, and the Fight Forward
Tune into this conversation that explores the facts and fiction about the state of Affirmative Action, and the fight for equity.
Speakers include Ava Wharton, Rev. Shavon Arline Bradley and Stefanie Brown James.
TOPICS: Discrimination; Higher Education; Racial Equity
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
Achieving Pay Equity for Black Women, Girls, and Gender-Expansive Youth
It’s time to dive into how we can champion equity for Black women, girls and gender-expansive youth in corporate industries. Join Nicole Monson, SVP of Equity and Engagement at The Estée Lauder Companies, and Cidra M. Sebastien, G4GC Fund Manager.
TOPICS: Gender and Racial Equity; Pay Equity
What if the Economy Loved Black Women and Girls?
Jessica Norwood – entrepreneur, investor, artist, and philanthropist – gives insight into the ways money can be an expression of repair and spiritual care, restorative and reparative economies, and Black entrepreneurship.
TOPICS: Capital Investment; Reparative Economies
Economic Justice: Make It Make Cents!
Tune into this conversation that makes sense of the conditions needed to create the landscapes for Black girls and gender-expansive youth to thrive, from investment to pay equity. Speakers include Mikaila Ulmer, Monica James, and Malikah Berry-Rogers.
TOPICS: Entrepreneurship; Financial Trauma
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
Reproductive Justice or Nothing: The Fight for Bodily Autonomy and Freedom
Tune into this intergenerational conversation about the legacy and framework of reproductive justice as a Black feminist praxis, and why the fight for bodily autonomy is essential to freedom for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people. Speakers include Loretta Ross, Ashlei Spivey, Lolah-Belle Bunche, and Ponny White.
TOPICS: Bodily Autonomy; Healing Justice; Organizing; Sexual Violence
Thursday, February 15, 2024
3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
Justice in Schools
This conversation explores what educators, policy makers, families, and community members can do to ensure Black girls and gender-expansive youth experience school free from harm. Speakers include Niya Kenny and Ashley Sawyer, Esq.
TOPICS: School Pushout; State Violence
Responding to the Climate Crisis with The Solutions Project
Every issue is a Black girl issue, and that’s especially true with climate. Learn about how The Solutions Project and their partners are responding to the climate crisis, and get details on #BlackClimateWeek.
TOPIC: Climate Change; Environmental Justicec
Friday, February 16, 2024
3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
Voting: One Path to Just and Liberated Futures
Tune into this conversation that explores voting and what it will take to mobilize voters this election season. Speakers include Madysen Forney, Odessa Kelly, Toni Moore, and moderator DeNora Getachew.
TOPIC: Civic Engagement
Increasing Civic Participation of Young Black People: CRG is Outside!
Camille Thompson shares her passion for empowering young, Black people with the education and resources to make their voices heard through voting. Camille is the Executive Director of Collective Renaissance Georgia (CRG), a Black youth-led organization focused on civic engagement.
TOPIC: Civic Engagement; Mobilizing First-time and Young Voters
Saturday, February 17, 2024
3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
1Billion4BlackGirls: A Call to Action
A call to action for the #1Billion4BlackGirls campaign.
TOPIC: Investment; Philanthropy
Freedom Square: The Black Girlhood Altar
Join A Long Walk Home for a virtual tour of its multimedia, artifact-based, video, and object-based artwork bringing awareness to the issue of missing and murdered women of color, promote community accountability, end gender-based violence, and increase visibility. The exhibition creates a space for artists, families, and community activists to engage in public conversation.
TOPIC: Black Childhood; Healing; Grief; Multimedia Arts
The Let Out: Trivia!
Join us on Instagram for “The Let Out”, where we will play some games to recap the week, and announce the final giveaways for BGFW 2024.
Sunday, February 18, 2024
All day!
Share your favorite part of the week, and your commitments to Black girls, femmes and gender-expansive youth on social media.
Using the hashtags #1Billion4BlackGirls, #BlackGirlFreedomWeek, #BlackGirlFreedom and tagging @BlackGirlFreedomFund
Media Coverage
Business For The Culture IG Live with Ebony McMorris:
Interview with Black Girl Freedom Fund Manager Cidra Sebastien
BGFW 2024 Speakers
Lolah-Belle Bunche
(she, her)
Lolah-Belle Bunche
Lolah-Belle Bunche is a college freshman, currently pursuing a Nursing degree. She plans to become a Nurse Practitioner and Midwife. Her passion lies in ensuring Black and Brown women receive the best prenatal and birthing care. Lolah brings a dynamic spirit to the table as she pursues her collegiate career. Lolah is also the driving force behind Brown Girls Vibes (BGV), an athleisure line designed to empower young Black and Brown women to feel good in their own skin. As the Founder and Designer, Lolah is crafting an innovative leisure wear line that seamlessly blends style, comfort, and functionality. She’s currently deep into researching fashion trends and fabric options for her upcoming line, ensuring it’s not just fashion but a statement. Beyond entrepreneurship, Lolah’s leadership shines as a Dunia Youth World Festival leader and AFROMAHA Emerging Designer. She’s all about versatility and top-notch teamwork. In her spare time, Lolah enjoys spending time with her friends and going on sushi dates with her mom.
Madysen Forney
(she, her)
Madysen Forney
Madysen Forney is a Senior Political Science major from Roseville, Michigan, residing in McDonough, Georgia, and is currently attending Clark Atlanta University. Madysen humbly serves as a second-year 2023-2024 Dr. Anne Moses Atlanta Fellow for IGNITE National. In her role, she empowers young women to run for public office on every level of government. Additionally, Madysen is a TEDWomen Scholar through the internationally recognized media organization, TED Conferences, LLC. Madysen is among the inaugural cohort of only 100 recipients to receive the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service, a program sponsored by former President Obama, the Obama Foundation, and CEO of Airbnb, Brian Chesky. She is an aspiring first-generation law student planning to serve in the legal field to promote equitable change across the nation. She has remained committed to service through mentorship, state, and local government research on issues that impact women and girls, health equity, and public policy. Madysen’s dedication stems from her mother introducing service to her at age ten; setting a foundation that inspires her to implore others to remain engaged in all acts of service. Throughout her college matriculation, Madysen has remained dedicated to public service by interning with United States Senator, Reverend Raphael Warnock and currently works with Clark Atlanta University’s General Counsel’s Office as their first intern, in the history of the university’s standing. Post her undergraduate education, she aspires to run for public office, and in seeking that position, she hopes to continue to serve communities of all backgrounds in hopes of inspiring the next generation of phenomenal community leaders.
DeNora Getachew
(she, her)
DeNora Getachew
DeNora Getachew is the Chief Executive Officer of DoSomething.org, the national hub for youth activism. Under her leadership, the thirty-year-old nonprofit focuses on fueling young people to change the world. DeNora is a native New Yorker; mother of three, including a son she had as a teenager; and a nonprofit leader who leverages her passion and expertise for civic engagement to center young people in taking action to create an inclusive and accessible democracy. Since joining DoSomething in April 2021, DeNora has led DoSomething to develop and launch a new mission, vision and strategy to evolve the organization to support the change demanded by new generations of young digital natives who are coming of age amidst a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and an intersectional reckoning for equity and justice. DeNora is Chair of the Board of Higher Heights for America, a national organization providing Black women with a political home exclusively dedicated to harnessing their power.
solace mensah-narh
(she, they)
solace mensah-narh
solace (she/they) is a researcher, data enthusiast, virgo, and music lover. Educated by various movement leaders, teachers, and care workers across the diaspora, Solace is a lover of learning and constantly seeks to expand her knowledge. In their work, Solace is an advocate for youth empowerment, educational accessibility, economic opportunity, and queer freedoms. She has worked with, and been in community with, organizations working with low-income students of Color, and focused on environmental justice, racial justice, transnational feminism, and movements against settler colonialism. Solace believes that there is no way to step into an embodied future without listening to young people. [new paragraph] Solace is a proud first-generation American from Ghana. They are an alum of the Barnard College of Columbia University where she studied economics, human rights, statistics, and psychology. Her research seeks to analyze the ways economic systems affect the psyches of Black queer femmes. Currently, they reside in Brooklyn, New York, lands originally protected by the Canarsie and Munsee people. Most regularly, they can be found watering her plants, reading creative nonfiction, and trying to make the perfect cinnamon rolls.
Monica James
(she, her)
Monica James
Monica James, a resilient survivor of gender-based violence, has been a beacon of hope and empowerment since 2009. Born and raised on the Westside of Chicago, Monica blends her paralegal expertise and lived experiences with a deep commitment to social justice. As a co-founder of T2, a charitable organization, she tirelessly champions the causes of healing wellness, economic wellness, and safety for all. Monica’s journey includes being a proud alumnus of MEV Cohort 4, where she honed her skills and deepened her impact. Her unwavering dedication to creating a world where every individual can thrive is a testament to her strength and compassion
Niya Kenny
(she, her)
Niya Kenny
Niya Kenny was a student at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, SC when she witnessed and filmed the #AssaultatSpringValley, during which she was arrested on disturbing school charges and taken to a detention center. Niya withdrew from Spring Valley High School and opted instead to finish a GED. Niya joined other South Carolina students in a lawsuit successfully challenging the constitutionality of the state’s laws against disturbing schools, which were overly broad and applied disproportionately to Black students. Niya has interned at the African American Policy Forum, where she worked on efforts to raise awareness about how the school-to-prison-pipeline impacts all students, but especially Black girls. Alongside her efforts to speak out, Niya is busy working as a dental assistant. She is also an entrepreneur: she loves to cook and has started a boiled peanut business, and she is in the process of starting her own rug company. You can follow and support Niya on Insta at @niybadu.
nahr suha
(they, them)
nahr suha
nahr suha (they/them) is a resource mover at grantmakers for girls of color, who manages the holding a sister initiative which is dedicated to tgnc young people of color. nahr is a gender-variant, transfeminine, mixed starseed of the swana diaspora. as a community farmer, dreamer & tree hugger, nahr deeply values the rematriation of land so that it may be stewarded by queer trans black and indigenous folks who carry ancestral knowledge & pathways to sustainable futures. they hope to inspire others with their dedication to land sovereignty, especially trans youth whose insights, experiences, & voices are necessary for our collective liberated future. in their work within philanthropy, they have listened intently to grantees who have named the need for healing to take place in trans communities of color. they have led with their heart and leaned in towards work that brings qtbipoc communities back to the soil & in solidarity with one another.
Toni Moore
(any pronouns)
Toni Moore
Toni Moore (any pronouns) is native to Atlanta, Georgia, with a passion for Black feminism, global politics, and human rights. She graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Studies in 2022. While at Georgia State, she co-founded Panthers for Black Feminism, the first Black queer feminist organization at the university, where she worked closely with Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity (URGE), SPARK Reproductive Justice Now, and Southerners On New Ground. She currently serves as the Executive Assistant at Women Engaged. She is responsible for providing vital administrative support to the executive leadership team and supporting the organization in their critical effort to deepen the Atlanta communities’ understanding of reproductive justice and motivate people to hold elected officials accountable to the issues paramount to Black women, femmes, and girls in Georgia. Toni brings her experiences and knowledge to Women Engaged to deepen the WE team’s outreach and retention of community members and partners. Toni is excited to be a part of a team of Black changemakers, doing radical work in Georgia for what marks 10 years.
Nicole Monson
(she, her)
Nicole Monson
Nicole S. Monson is Senior Vice President, Equity and Engagement at The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of prestige beauty products. Ms. Monson leads the Company’s Equity and Engagement Center of Excellence, spearheading the development of global strategies and solutions to create a workplace where every employee not only thrives, but also has equitable access to growth, development, and opportunity. Ms. Monson serves on the Company’s Diversity Council and Gender Equality Task Force. Additionally, she is the Executive Sponsor of She’s Howard: Own Your Power Program in partnership with Howard University’s alumni department. She is also the Executive Sponsor of ELC’s partnership with The Young Women’s Leadership Schools, which helps youth from diverse and underserved communities achieve their academic and leadership potential. Prior to ELC, Ms. Monson practiced corporate and employment law at Ingersoll Rand Company, Sullivan & Cro
Jessica Norwood
(she, her)
Jessica Norwood
Jessica Norwood is the founder of RUNWAY, a social enterprise that provides startup capital to Black founders. Her innovative work has been profiled on NPR and Bloomberg Television and in Essence magazine, Next City, Fast Company, and Conscious Company, and she has participated in fellowships at Harvard University, Duke University, and Southern University College of Business for emerging leaders. Learn more about Jessica’s leadership and work at www.jessicanorwood.com.
Cidra Sebastien
(she, her)
Cidra Sebastien
Cidra (she/her) is an educator, youth advocate and organizer. She has developed culturally-relevant, gender-affirming and arts and activism curricula; published Op-Eds about youth leadership development and DACA; appeared on radio and television outlets; and contributed to local and national policy-making regarding public education, youth leadership development and advancing adolescent girls.
A graduate of Hampton University and New York University, she was an executive leader for a social justice youth organization for nearly 20 years where she expanded youth and community programs; developed curricula; trained educators; coordinated study abroad programs; and shaped the organization’s policy work in the areas of education and gender equity. She was the co-chair of the Education Committee of the New York City Council’s Young Women’s Initiative. She co-planned the 2016 Black Girl Movement National Conference in NYC, which hosted 500 girls, educators, advocates, artists, and academics for a 3-day convening centering Black girls and gender expansive youth.
Cidra co-authored “Taking Back the Work: A Cooperative Inquiry into the Work of Leaders of Color in Movement-Building Organizations,” traveling to Atlanta, Brazil and the UK to share the work and discuss issues of leadership and race. She is an auntie, runner and creator whose imagination is fueled by the arts, travel and learning from others. Cidra was born on land traditionally kept and protected by Taíno people (Puerto Rico) and currently lives on land traditionally kept and protected by Canarsee and Munsee Lenape people (Brooklyn, NY).
Malikah Berry Rogers
(she, her)
Malikah Berry Rogers
Malikah Berry Rogers joined Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium in 2019 and was named Executive Director in 2022. As executive director, she is responsible for goal setting, grantmaking, operations, donor relations, and fiscal health. She brings more than 26 years of experience in nonprofit management and grantmaking with national, local, and regional organizations. She has worked across a range of causes, from economic inequality, victim assistance, and domestic violence, to civic engagement and philanthropy. Malikah holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Agnes Scott College. She also studied Journalism at American University and later became a Kaiser Family Foundation Health Reporting Fellow. In 2023 she earned executive education certificate from the Harvard University Kennedy School Power, Innovation and Leadership program. Malikah and her husband Leon are raising their son in Atlanta, Georgia.
Loretta Ross
(she, her)
Loretta Ross
Loretta J. Ross is an activist, public intellectual, scholar, the 2022 recipient of the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” award and an Associate Professor at Smith College. She has a passion for innovating creative imagining about global human rights and social justice issues and started her career in activism and social change in the 1970s. In 1978, she was the third executive director for DC Rape Crisis Center, the first rape crisis center in the country. This was her entry point into the women’s movement where she learned about women’s human rights, reproductive justice, white supremacy, and women of color organizing. Through her organizing she helped launch the movement to end violence against women that has evolved into today’s #MeToo movement. In her work Calling In the Calling Out Culture, she transforms how people can overcome political differences to use empathy and respect to guide difficult conversations. In 2023, Loretta was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Ashlei Spivey-Arthur
(she, her)
Ashlei Spivey-Arthur
Ashlei Spivey is a bold visionary that actively works to create just communities centered in Black liberation. In her work as a social entrepreneur and ecosystem builder, she champions racial and gender justice to create transformative system change. She is a graduate of Jackson State University where she studied communications and marketing, then attending University of Texas Arlington for her master’s program in urban social planning. Ashlei’s impact is evident in the movements she launched including I Be Black Girl (IBBG). IBBG, where she serves as founder and Executive Director, is a collective that supports Black women, femmes and girls to live wholly, has had outsized impact since inception like investing over $3M back into community. She proudly serves on the ACLU of Nebraska board of directors as the Board President, the Women’s Funding Network as a board member and is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. In 2022, she was chosen as a MIT REAP participant to work on regional entrepreneurial ecosystem building with a select team from Omaha and in 2023 was chosen as a J.M. Kaplan Innovation Prize Awardee, where she is one of 10 leaders selected out of 3,200 for her innovative approach around reproductive wellbeing and justice. Most importantly she is a mother, friend, daughter and neighbor.
Camille Thompson
(she, her)
Camille Thompson
Camille Thompson, a recent graduate from Howard University (Spring 2022) holding dual degrees in Political Science and Economics, is deeply committed to various social justice causes. Hailing from Atlanta, Camille’s passion lies in issues such as racial justice, criminal justice reform, affordable housing, and economic equity. Her journey began in high school when she discovered the transformative potential of data and economic policy while interning at BlueLabs, a progressive data and technology firm. During her time at Howard, she interned at the Democracy Alliance, a network of progressive donors, and actively organized with Blue Future, a student-led organization dedicated to progressive voter outreach. Currently based in Atlanta, Camille serves as the Executive Director of Collective Renaissance Georgia.
Mikaila Ulmer
(she, her)
Mikaila Ulmer
Mikaila Ulmer is an Austinite, social entrepreneur, and published author. She studies Economics and International Studies at Emory University as a full-ride Woodruff Scholar. At the age of four-and-a-half, Mikaila founded Me & the Bees, a social good lemonade product that saves the bees, and she has since scaled it to be distributed in over 6,500 stores with over 3 million bottles sold. In 2016, she founded the Healthy Hive Foundation: a non-profit that researches, protects, and educates about pollinators. The Healthy hive has partnered with numerous schools to provide educational tools, beekeepers to support their hives, and farmers. She was a success on ABC’s Shark Tank, one of TIME’s 30 most influential teens, the 2023 NAACP image award Entrepreneur of the Year, one of AfroTech’s 2023 Future 50 of tech. She introduced former president Obama at the United State of Women conference, has worked with social businesses across the world from Cape Town to Singapore, and published the best-selling boo
Ashley C. Sawyer, Esq.
(she, her)
Ashley C. Sawyer, Esq.
Ashley C. Sawyer, Esq. (she/her) Ashley is a Senior Attorney at Advancement Project, and adjunct law professor at Brooklyn Law School. She was previously Policy Director and Senior Director of Campaigns at Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) from 2018-2021. Ashley is committed to abolishing prisons and investing in freedom, educational justice, and joy for youth of color. Ashley was previously an attorney at Youth Represent (YR), supporting youth who were criminalized with civil legal needs. Ashley was a Stoneleigh Emerging Leader at the Education Law Center in Philadelphia, doing special education litigation and policy work to address educational inequity in the juvenile legal system and reduce the suspensions of Black girls. Ashley’s an alumna of Douglass College at Rutgers University, and the Howard University School of Law.
Stefanie Brown James
(she, her)
Stefanie Brown James
An experienced social entrepreneur and civic engagement strategist, Stefanie Brown James is the Co-Founder and Senior Advisor of The Collective – a network of five affiliated organizations which includes The Collective PAC and Collective Future (501c4) – dedicated to supporting Black candidates and the engagement of Black voters in the political process. Founded in August of 2016, The Collective has raised over $40 million, helped 417 Black leaders win elected office and in 2020, organized one of the largest Black voter engagement campaigns in the country — registering 100k+ voters and providing over 100k+ free rides to and from the polls. In 2013, Stefanie co-created and currently serves as the CEO of Vestige Strategies LLC; a civic and community engagement consulting firm that assists nonprofits, corporations, foundations and countries to take action and win tangible results. A native of the Cleveland, Ohio area, Stefanie has worked as the Vice President of Training and Community Engagement at EMILY’s List; as the National African American Vote Director for the 2012 Obama for America Campaign; and served as the National Field Director and Youth & College Division Director for the NAACP. Stefanie is a former member of the Board of Trustees at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, DC, and former member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated’s National Board of Directors and Social Action Commission. She is also a frequent political contributor on ABC News, the BBC, and CNN.
Odessa Kelly
(she, her)
Odessa Kelly
Odessa Kelly was born and raised in Nashville. Odessa played basketball for and graduated from Tennessee State University, earned her Masters degree in Public Service at Cumberland University, and became a civil servant for this city. Her professional career began in Nashville’s Parks and Rec department working on the frontlines of poverty everyday in an effort to bring joy, resources, and a sense of worth to underserved Black communities. In 2019, Odessa received the National Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Award for her work fighting for justice for working people, housing justice, and racial equity. She was also a National Courage Award recipient, Nashville Scene’s 2018 Activist of the Year, and was awarded the Human Rights Rising Advocate award in 2018. Odessa recently ran for U.S. Congress and garnered nationwide praise and support as she captured the hearts of millions who wanted her to be their voice in Congress. Odessa is the proud parent of two almost grown” people and an oversized mastiff/dane mix who thinks he’s a yorkie!
Cenné Anderson
(she, her)
Cenné Anderson
Cenné, a recent graduate from Kennesaw State University, majored in Information Technology with a concentration in Cybersecurity and a minor in FinTech. Driven by a passion for technology, Cenné is committed to paying it forward by sharing knowledge and experiences, particularly focusing on empowering young girls. Through mentorship, Cenné aims to guide young women through the college application process and support their professional development beyond college. Aspiring to inspire the next wave of tech enthusiasts, Cenné is dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone, regardless of gender, feels confident and empowered to excel in the dynamic field of technology.
Ava Wharton
(she, her)
Ava Wharton
Ava Wharton is an 18-year-old advocate committed to inspiring social change by exercising her passion for creative storytelling and advancing racial justice. Currently pursuing a degree in media and journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she has worked to promote the visibility of underrepresented and underserved communities through impactful multimedia efforts that amplify their voices. Through her work with organizations like Justice for Black Girls, The Beautiful Project, and the UNC Affirmative Action Coalition, Ava has campaigned to address and combat the unique oppressions faced by Black girls on interpersonal and institutional scales. Her policy-based initiatives have included the promotion of race-conscious admissions and CROWN Act legislation– both propelling her lifelong journey to dismantle systemic injustices. Ava continues to leverage her skills and ambition to pave spaces for Black voices to be celebrated while powerfully disrupting systems of oppression. As she progresses in her academic and professional endeavors, Ava remains committed to being a catalyst for meaningful change in the media field and fostering a more equitable world.
Ponny White
(she, her)
Ponny White
Ponny White (she/her) is an NYU Master of Art student, reproductive justice advocate and a storyteller. Her passion for social equity has allowed her the opportunity to work with notable organizations like Planned Parenthood, Advocates for Youth, Girls for Gender Equity and others. Ponny’s reproductive advocacy efforts predominantly centers and uplifts the experiences of children and youth. Using her advocacy knowledge–her professional experience as an early childhood policy consultant, her personal experience as a survivor of CSA (child sexual abuse), and her love for storytelling–Ponny strives to create spaces that affirm the voices of young people, and challenges community and system leaders to radically value the expertise of children and young people in this work. Ponny is a big picture thinker whose activist praxis is love. She plans on spending the next 5 years solidifying herself as a multimedia storyteller who helps to uplift authentic stories.
Jamison Ford
(any pronouns)
Jamison Ford
Jamison Ford is a 16-year-old orator, leader, and community organizer from Washington, DC. From an early age, Jamison has always focused on understanding our society, providing a voice for youth to liberate marginalized people from systems of oppression.
Jamison has participated in policy-making and youth organizing work around school funding, mental health, safety, housing, and other social justice issues through the Black Swan Academy, DC Girls Coalition, United Leaders for Freedom, and D.C. Public Schools. They have worked extensively with The Black Girl Freedom Fund since March of 2021 as a part of the first group of youth philanthropists dedicated to funding organizations led by and for black women and femmes. They also proudly represent the organizations of Black Millenials for Flint, performing advocacy work through panels, interviews, speeches, writing, and curriculum development around environmental justice and climate change. In particular, how our environmental changes impact black and brown youth and families.
Outside of her social and environmental justice work, Jamison is a member of Children’s International Summer Village (CISV), an organization founded on the belief that peace is possible through building friendship and mutual understanding, starting with children. Through this program, Jamison has participated in a four-member U.S. delegation traveling to the Netherlands (2018) and as a single delegate to Norway (2023). During her time abroad and domestically, Jamison engages children from more than 15 countries to discuss social issues, cultural differences, and tolerance. Jamison is also a graduate ambassador and docent trainee for the Bringing the Lessons Home program through the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Jamison also attends McKinley Technology High School in N.E. D.C., as a part of the NAF Biotechnology Academy. Jamison would like to use their scientific literacy from the academy to pursue a career as an OBGYN and or fetal surgeon in hopes of transforming maternal healthcare for marginalized individuals. When Jamison is a teenager, she plays soccer and flag football, participates in competitive powerlifting, and enjoys Law and Order (SVU specifically), music, and anything relating to some good food.
Dr. Monique Couvson
(she, her)
Dr. Monique Couvson
Dr. Monique Couvson is an award-winning author and social justice scholar with three decades of experience in the areas of education, civil rights, juvenile and criminal justice. Monique is the President and CEO of Grantmakers for Girls of Color, one of the nation’s premier philanthropic intermediaries explicitly focused on resourcing movements and organizations led by, and in support of cis and trans girls and femmes of color.
Monique is the author of Cultivating Joyful Learning Spaces for Black Girls: Insights into Interrupting School Pushout and Charisma’s Turn: A Graphic Novel, about supporting Black girls who stand in their gifts. She is an Executive Producer and co-writer of the documentary film, PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools, which is based on her book of the same name as well as Sing A Rhythm, Dance A Blues: Education for the Liberation of Black and Brown Girls. She has written dozens of articles, book chapters, and other publications on social justice issues and lectured widely on research, policies, and practices associated with improving juvenile/criminal justice, educational, and socioeconomic conditions for girls and women of Color. Her 2018 TED talk on how to stop the criminalization of Black girls in schools has received over 2 million views and been translated into 20 languages.
The Founder and Board Chair for the National Black Women’s Justice Institute, Monique’s work has been profiled by MSNBC, CSPAN2, The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, USA Today, and PBS, among other national and local print, radio, and television media.
