Lateefah Simon

Peer Leader, Washington High School

"Lateefah Simon is a San Francisco native and Peer Resources alumnus who exemplifies resilience, excellence and BlackGirlMagic. As a SF youth from the Fillmore District, she experienced the impact of the crack epidemic on her working-class and middle-class neighborhood. She was a young mother who dropped out of high school and was on probation for a shoplifting charge. She began her early work in the community as an organizer at the Center for Young Women’s Development (renamed Young Women’s Freedom Center) working with vulnerable girls and young women who were justice-involved providing jobs, education and support services. Within a few years, she became the Executive Director at the age of 19.

"During her tenure at Center for Young Women’s Development, Lateefah helped thousands of girls and young women who were young mothers or caught up in the streets make meaningful changes in their lives. She worked with these young women where they were at, partnering with them around the changes they wanted to make or not make, and applying unconditional love, radical acceptance and beloved community. These girls and young women did not feel alone, did not feel judged. Her work has helped youth and young people find their voice and visibility breaking generational cycles of poverty, violence and incarceration.

"Lateefah Simon champions youth through her own personal narrative of resilience. As a San Francisco daughter, she has made a great impact on how the city engages with its young people through her two decades of executive experience as an architect of change, policy-maker, grant maker and public servant. Lateefah has become a nationally recognized advocate for civil rights and racial justice, she shares our stories to inspire and effect change. Lateefah is one of my favorite humans on this planet. She is a warrior who approaches everyone with kindness and compassion. She loves hard, fights hard and wins hard--when she wins, we all win."

Lateefah Simon is the President of Akonadi Foundation, which nurtures movement building to advance racial justice in Oakland. A nationally recognized advocate for civil rights, Lateefah brings over 20 years of executive experience advancing opportunities for communities of color and low-income communities in the Bay Area. Before joining Akonadi, she was Program Director for the San Francisco-based Rosenberg Foundation.

Lateefah has received numerous awards for her work, including the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, the Jefferson Award for extraordinary public service, and in 2017 "Most Promising New Foundation President" by Inside Philanthropy. Lateefah was elected to the BART Board of Directors and Gov. Jerry Brown appointed her to the California State University’s Board of Trustees in 2016. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Tipping Point.

"I have dedicated my life and career to fighting for racial justice, the rights of low-income young women and girls, and creating alternatives to the criminal and juvenile justice systems. In my 20+ years as a civil rights and racial justice leader in the nonprofit, public and philanthropy sectors, I have used my platform to elevate the voices and build power for and in low-income and communities of color in the Bay Area and California. I envision, and work tirelessly for, a society where low-income people and people of color are not only drivers of change in their communities but are empowered to lead their own liberation."

Lateefah Simon