Monica Simpson facts for kids

Monica Simpson is an American activist, artist, and the leader of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. This is the largest group in the United States that fights for reproductive justice for women of color. Reproductive justice is the idea that all people should have the power to make their own choices about their health and families.

Early Life and Schooling

Monica Raye Simpson grew up in the town of Wingate, North Carolina. In school, she was often the only Black student in her advanced classes. She has said this experience inspired her to become an activist for the rights of Black people and women.

Simpson went to Johnson C. Smith University, which is a Historically Black University (HBCU). While there, she worked to support LGBTQ+ rights at her school and in the community.

After college, she became the Operations Director at the Charlotte Lesbian & Gay Community Center. She was the first person of color to hold this job. Simpson also helped start Charlotte's Black Gay Pride Celebration. For this work, she won awards from groups like the National Black Justice Coalition.

Career as an Activist

In 2010, Simpson moved to Atlanta, Georgia. She started working for SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. This national organization was the first to start the reproductive justice movement for women of color in the U.S.

Simpson quickly took on more leadership roles at SisterSong. By 2013, she became the executive director, which is the head of the organization.

Speaking to the United Nations

In 2014, Simpson spoke to a committee at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. She presented a special report about the health of Black mothers in the United States. The report argued that the U.S. was not doing enough to solve the high rates of death among Black mothers during and after childbirth.

The United Nations committee agreed with the report. It called on the U.S. to fix these problems and improve healthcare for all women. After this, SisterSong helped create the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to focus on this important issue.

Other Important Work

• Artists United for Reproductive Justice: In 2014, Simpson started this program. It helps artists of color create art that spreads awareness about reproductive justice.
• Democratic National Convention: In 2016, Simpson spoke to leaders of the Democratic Party. She was one of the first reproductive justice leaders to do so. After she spoke, the party added repealing the Hyde Amendment (a rule about government funding for healthcare) to its official platform for the first time.

Awards and Recognition

Monica Simpson has received many awards for her work.

• In 2014, Essence Magazine called her one of the "New Civil Rights Leaders."
• In 2015, she was honored by the Woodhull Freedom Foundation for protecting human rights.
• In 2016, The Advocate magazine named her one of its "40 under 40" leaders.
• In 2018, she received the Ms. Foundation Gloria Award.
• In 2022, she was named one of the BBC 100 Women, a list of inspiring women from around the world.

Career as an Artist

Besides her activism, Simpson is also a talented singer. She grew up singing gospel music in church, just like her mother and grandmother.

She has performed in many plays, including For the Love of Harlem, Walk Like a Man, The ... Monologues, and For Colored Girls. In 2015, she released her first album, called Revolutionary Love: The Live Recording. She has also sung at many events, including singing the National Anthem at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march in Atlanta.