Tamika Mallory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tamika Mallory
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Mallory in 2020
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Tamika Danielle Mallory
September 4, 1980 Manhattan, New York, U.S.
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| Alma mater | The College of New Rochelle |
| Occupation | Activist |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Known for | National chair for the Women's March |
| Children | 1 |
Tamika Danielle Mallory (born September 4, 1980) is an American activist who works for social justice. She was one of the main organizers of the 2017 Women's March. This was a huge protest that brought people together all over the world.
For her work on the march, TIME magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people of 2017. Mallory is a strong supporter of gun control, feminism, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
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Early Life and Family
Tamika Mallory was born in Harlem, a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. When she was 14, her family moved to a community in the Bronx.
Her parents, Stanley and Voncile Mallory, were also activists. They were founding members of the National Action Network (NAN), an important civil rights group led by Reverend Al Sharpton. Growing up around their work inspired Mallory to fight for social justice and civil rights.
Mallory has one son, Tarique. His father, Jason Ryans, was murdered in 2001. Mallory has said that this sad event pushed her to become even more involved in activism to help make communities safer. Her son is also a member of NAN.
Career as an Activist
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Mallory's journey in activism began when she was very young. At age 11, she joined the National Action Network to learn about the Civil Rights Movement. By 15, she was a volunteer staff member. In 2009, she became the group's executive director, the youngest person to ever hold that position.
After 14 years with NAN, she left her leadership role in 2013 to focus on her own activism projects. However, she still supports NAN's work.
Working for New York City
In 2014, Mallory was chosen to be on a team that helped New York City's new mayor, Bill de Blasio. During this time, she helped create the NYC Crisis Management System. This program gives $20 million each year to groups working to prevent gun violence. She also helped lead a new project called Gun Violence Awareness Month.
Today, Mallory runs Mallory Consulting. It is a company that helps organizations plan events and strategies. She also serves on the board of Gathering for Justice, a group that works to end the practice of putting young people in jail.
Disagreement with Starbucks
In 2018, two Black men were arrested at a Starbucks in Philadelphia. After this, Starbucks planned to train its employees to prevent unfair treatment based on race. The company said it would work with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a group that fights hatred.
Mallory criticized this decision. She disagreed with some of the ADL's past actions and did not think they were the right group for the training. After Mallory and others spoke out, Starbucks decided not to include the ADL in its training.
The Women's March
One of Mallory's most famous achievements was helping to organize the 2017 Women's March. She worked with other activists like Bob Bland, Carmen Perez, and Linda Sarsour. The march took place on January 21, 2017, the day after Donald Trump became president.
The march was a protest for many causes, including:
- Women's rights
- Fair treatment for immigrants
- LGBTQIA rights
- Better healthcare
- Protecting the environment
- Justice and equality for all races
While the main march was in Washington, D.C., millions of people joined "sister marches" in cities all over the world. About 500,000 people came to the march in Washington, D.C. It may have been the largest single-day protest in American history.
Organizing the March
The idea for the Women's March started on Facebook. A grandmother in Hawaii named Teresa Shook created an event for a march in Washington, D.C. At the same time, a mother in New York named Bob Bland also created a similar event. Soon, hundreds of thousands of people said they wanted to attend.
Bland then asked Mallory, Perez, and Sarsour to help lead the march. They wanted to make sure the voices of women of color were included. Mallory said she joined "to ensure that Black women's voices are upheld, uplifted, and that our issues are addressed."
The organizers worked to make the march welcoming to people from all backgrounds. They wanted everyone to have a space to share their feelings and concerns.
After the March
To keep the energy of the march going, the organizers created a campaign called "10 Actions for the First 100 Days." This campaign gave people simple things they could do to stay involved in activism. For example, they encouraged people to write postcards to their senators and hold meetings in their local communities.
In 2021, Mallory published her first book, State of Emergency. In the book, she shares her ideas for how to create change and fight for justice.
Leaving the Women's March
Mallory was also a leader for the 2019 Women's March. During this time, she faced criticism for her connection to Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam. Some of Farrakhan's past statements were seen as hurtful to the Jewish community, and some people were upset that Mallory had attended his events.
This caused disagreements within the Women's March movement. Some people called for Mallory to step down. Mallory said that she did not agree with all of Farrakhan's words. She also said that she believed in working with people even if they have different views.
In September 2019, Mallory left the Women's March organization.
George Floyd Protests
In May 2020, Mallory traveled to Minneapolis to take part in the protests after the murder of George Floyd. She gave a powerful speech at a news conference. She said that people should be more worried about getting justice for George Floyd than about property being damaged during the protests.
See also
In Spanish: Tamika Mallory para niños
