Launch Event: The Initiative on Gender Justice & Opportunity

In 2018, the Center launched its Gender Justice and Opportunity Initiative. During this event, renowned activists and scholars, including Monique Morris, Melissa Harris-Perry, and Naomi Wadler joined the Initiative in a discussion about improving public systems’ approaches to low-income girls and girls of color.

The Initiative grew out of the Center’s Project on Marginalized Girls, which began in 2011. In its early days, the Project’s work centered on hosting convenings about issues important to marginalized girls, such as sex trafficking and juvenile justice involvements. At the launch of the Initiative, we introduced high-level experts to our team, who would be working with us as Senior Scholars, to continue to expand our focus areas to include all public systems. Professor Thalia González discussed the work she would be undertaking with us to research restorative justice practices and other alternative tools to school discipline, and Dr. Kimberlyn Leary presented her work to address mental health and trauma for girls of color and to increase mental health care access in schools.