Monique W. Morris chosen as the New NAACP National Director of Research
Today, NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous announced the selection of Monique W. Morris as National Director of Research of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Morris will direct the development and implementation of the NAACP's national research agenda in education, health, economic empowerment, criminal justice, civic engagement, labor, housing and international affairs.
"We look forward to Monique's application of tools that measure and monitor racial disparities in the NAACP's target policy areas that will assist in guiding our advocacy activities," Jealous said.
Morris brings nearly 20 years of professional and volunteer experience as a civil rights, criminal justice, education and social justice advocate to the position.
For the last 15 years, Morris has led efforts to examine and respond to racial disparities in the justice system. Her most recent work examines the impact of a criminal record or period of incarceration on the employment outcomes of women.
Morris has worked in partnership with government agencies, academic institutions and communities to develop comprehensive approaches and training to eliminate ethnic and gender disparities in the justice system. Her work has resulted in the design and development of improved culturally-competent and gender-responsive services for youth.
Morris has also led research on the impact of anti-affirmative action legislation on people of color and women in public contracting, language access at public health care facilities and barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated women, leading to public and private sector policy improvements.
Her projects have been in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley School of Law; the California Corrections Standards Authority; the Discrimination Research Center; the National Council on Crime and Delinquency; and other national research institutions.
"I look forward to bringing my passion and expertise to NAACP efforts that focus on dismantling racial injustices and developing informed solutions to support the healthy development our communities," Morris said.
The Columbia University alum is the author of Too Beautiful for Words, a coming-of-age story that explores the impact of prostitution in urban communities, various book chapters and other published articles on social and criminal justice issues.
A proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., she is also a founding partner of Aya Solutions, LLC, a consulting firm that combines research, training, and technical assistance support a greater goal of social justice.
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Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
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