Monica Simpson is a

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...

Black activist, artist, and executive director of

SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective The SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, also known as SisterSong, is a national activist organization dedicated to reproductive justice for women of color. The non-profit defines reproductive justice as the human right to m ...

, the United States' largest organization dedicated to

reproductive justice Reproductive justice is a critical feminist framework that was invented as a response to United States reproductive politics. The three core values of reproductive justice are the right to have a child, the right to not have a child, and the righ ...

for

women of color The term "person of color" (plural, : people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is primarily used to describe any person who is not considered "White people, white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is primarily a ...

Biography

Monica Raye Simpson grew up in Wingate, North Carolina. She was often the only black child in spaces such as honors classes, which she says started her on the path to activism for the rights of black people and women. Simpson received a bachelor's degree in communications at

Johnson C. Smith University Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and accredited by the ...

, a Historically Black University (HBCU) where she organized for LGBTQ rights both on and off campus. After graduation, she became the Operations Director and the first person of color at the Charlotte Lesbian & Gay Community Center. Simpson was a co-founder of the Charlotte's Black Gay Pride Celebration, for which she received awards from the National Black Justice Coalition and the Human Rights Coalition. In 2010, Simpson moved to Atlanta, Georgia to become the Development Coordinator for

, the national, multi-ethnic organization that first launched the

movement for

in the United States. She rose to Deputy Coordinator in 2011, Interim Executive Director in 2012, and executive director in 2013. In 2014, Simpson testified in Geneva before the

United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) is a United Nations convention. A third -generation human rights instrument, the Convention commits its members to the elimination of racial discri ...

, presenting a shadow report created jointly by SisterSong, the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), and the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. The report stated that the United States, by failing to address its crisis in black maternal mortality, was violating an international human rights treaty. The committee adopted all of the report's recommendations and called on the United States to “eliminate racial disparities in the field of sexual and reproductive health and standardize the data-collection system on maternal and infant deaths in all states to effectively identify and address the causes of disparities in maternal- and infant-mortality rates.” After producing the shadow report, SisterSong and CRR co-founded Black Mamas Matter to address black maternal mortality. In 2016, it became independent as the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, and Simpson continued to serve as a Steering Committee Member and then on the advisory board. In 2014, Simpson created Artists United for Reproductive Justice, the first program facilitating artists of color to create artwork designed to help shift US culture toward reproductive justice. In 2016, Simpson was one of the first two reproductive justice leader to speak before the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

Platform Drafting Committee, which then included repealing the Hyde Amendment on the Platform for the first time.

Awards

In 2014, Simpson was named one of the New Civil Rights Leaders by '' Essence Magazine''. In 2015 she was honored by

Woodhull Freedom Foundation Woodhull Freedom Foundation, also known as Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance, is an American non-profit organization founded in 2003 that advocates for sexual freedom as a fundamental human right. The organization is based in Washington, D.C., Un ...

with the Vicki Sexual Freedom Award for her work advancing and protecting our fundamental human right to sexual freedom; by

Hands Up United Hands Up United is a social justice activist organization based in Ferguson, Missouri, formed after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer. The organization seeks justice in the Michael Brown case and prevention of future incident ...

as one of 14 African-American women who advanced the fight for civil rights and gender equality and one of

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...

Federation of America's 99 Dream Keepers. In 2016, she was named among the top 40 leaders under 40 by ''

The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * ''The Advocate'' (LGBT magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States *''The Harvard Advocate'', a literary magazin ...

'' magazine. In 2018, she received the Ms. Foundation Gloria Award and was recognized again as a Planned Parenthood Dream Keeper. She was honored as one of the BBC 100 Women in December 2022.

Artist

Simpson has also been a singer from a young age, after growing up singing gospel at church like her mother and grandmother. She has appeared in theatrical productions such as ''For the Love of Harlem'', ''Words the Isms'', ''Walk Like a Man'', '' The Vagina Monologues'', and ''For Colored Girls''. In 2015, she released her first album, ''Revolutionary Love: The Live Recording.'' She has also performed at events across the country, including singing the National Anthem and the National Black Anthem for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march and rally in Atlanta, GA.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Monica Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Reproductive rights activists Johnson C. Smith University alumni African-American people American health activists