Monique Couvson, Ed.D. (she/her), is an award-winning author and social justice scholar with three decades of experience in the areas of education, civil rights, juvenile and criminal justice. She envisions a world in which all girls and gender-expansive youth of color are healthy, safe, thriving, and fully empowered to dream and shape their desired reality on their terms, while dismantling structural barriers created by racism, sexism and ageism, and other forms of oppression that prevent their healthy development. Her research intersects race, gender, education and justice to explore the ways in which Black communities, and other communities of color, are uniquely affected by social policies.
Dr. Couvson is an Executive Producer and co-writer of the documentary film, PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools, which is based upon two of her books, Sing A Rhythm, Dance A Blues: Education for the Liberation of Black and Brown Girls (The New Press, 2019) and Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools (The New Press, 2016). She has authored books, dozens of articles, book chapters, and other publications on social justice issues, and lectured widely on research, policies, and practices associated with improving juvenile/criminal justice, educational, and socioeconomic conditions for girls and women of color. Her 2018 TED talk(nearly 2 million views) on ending the criminalization of Black girls in schools has been translated into 18 languages.
A former educator, researcher and scholar-advocate, Dr. Couvson has worked in partnership with and served as a consultant for federal, state and county agencies, national academic and research institutions, and communities throughout the nation to develop research, comprehensive approaches and training curricula to eliminate racial/ethnic and gender disparities in justice and educational systems. Her work in this area has informed legislation, and the development and implementation of improved culturally competent and gender-responsive continua of services for youth.
Dr. Couvson’s work has been profiled across a spectrum of national and local print, radio and television media, including by MSNBC, CSPAN2, The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, and PBS., among other national and local print, radio, and television media. Her research intersects race, gender, education and justice to explore the ways in which Black communities, and other communities of color, are uniquely affected by social policies. She also frequently lectures on the life and legacy of the artist Prince.