Erica Williams Simon

Erica Williams Simon is a strategist, cultural critic, speaker and media maker. Her work focuses on communicating the personal values, ideas and habits that lead to radical social impact. She is a deputy editor for Upworthy.com and a World Economic Forum Global Shaper. Follow her @createdbyerica

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What We Don't Understand About Violent Offenders

What we can learn from a man who served 19 years in prison about devastatin...

What we can learn from a man who served 19 years in prison about devastating effects of the criminal justice system and the power of hope

Model Amber Rose, center, attends the Amber Rose SlutWalk LA at Pershing Square on Oct. 3, 2015, in Los Angeles

Why Amber Rose’s SlutWalk Was for Everyone — Even Prudes

The decisions that any of us make about our bodies and sexuality should nev...

The decisions that any of us make about our bodies and sexuality should never be based in fear of abuse or judgment

Bobbi Kristina Brown at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Sparkle' held at the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, Calif. on Aug. 16, 2012.

What We Can Learn From the Bobbi Kristina Brown Tragedy

And why we thought we could save her

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the eulogy for South Carolina state senator and Rev. Clementa Pinckney during Pinckney's funeral service June 26, 2015 in Charleston, South Carolina.

5 Lessons America Can Learn From Black Churches

Obama's eulogy for the Rev. Clementa Pinckney offered an illuminating glimp...

Obama's eulogy for the Rev. Clementa Pinckney offered an illuminating glimpse into African American religious life

March2Justice demonstration calling for criminal justice reform, Staten Island, New York, April 13, 2015.

Why Tweeting Can't Replace a Civil Rights March

"March 2 Justice" activists embark on a 250 mile march from New York to Was...

"March 2 Justice" activists embark on a 250 mile march from New York to Washington, DC. But do old-school demonstrations do any good?

People light candles during a vigil on the campus of the University of North Carolina, for three Muslim students who were murdered, in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Feb. 11, 2015.

Why So Many People See the UNC Killings as a Hate Crime

We can't help but see the deaths of the three young students through our ow...

We can't help but see the deaths of the three young students through our own experiences

Michael Brown's mother Lesley McSpadden cries outside the police station in Ferguson, Mo. on Nov. 24, 2014 after hearing the grand jury decision on her son's fatal shooting.

What History Books Should Say About Ferguson

How we tell the story of what happened in Missouri matters