United States

Monica is a passionate activist and community organizer, having worked with the Mississippi Student Justice Alliance, the Youth Congress, and Upgrade Mississippi. She recently helped organize a Youth Congress and created a curriculum for sessions on health, education, and labor rights. Monica hopes to establish her own NGO that combines education, art, communication/performance, activism, and mentoring. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Jackson State University and intends to pursue a master’s in community development or urban planning.

Art, Poetry, and Justice is an 8-week program that teaches youth about how to use art and dance to organize around social justice issues with an emphasis on sexual reproductive health rights.

Rise Up Cohort: Youth Champion 2016