Fielding Alum Dr. Monique Couvson Named to TIME’s 2025 list of The Closers

Fielding Alum Dr. Monique Couvson Named to TIME’s 2025 List of The Closers

TIME has honored Fielding alum, Monique Couvson, Ed.D. (2013), by naming her to its prestigious 2025 list of ‘The Closers’, which recognizes 25 Black leaders who are driving impactful change by working to close racial equity gaps.

This year’s honorees — which include actor Niecy Nash-Betts, CNN’s Sara Sidner, Senator Raphael Warnock, and Olympian Gabby Thomas, among others represent a powerful cohort of innovators, activists, and visionaries dedicated to addressing systemic inequities and championing justice and progress. Dr. Couvson joins this influential group for her unwavering commitment to changing the conditions that negatively impact Black girls.

In just four years with Grantmakers for Girls of Color (G4GC), Dr. Couvson has helped convene 100 funders from the U.S., moved more than $26 million to 400 organizations, and developed four signature funds–the Black Girl Freedom Fund, the New Songs Rising Initiative for indigenous girls, the Holding a Sister Initiative for trans girls of color, and the Love Is Healing Fund–and she co-founded the #1Billion4BlackGirls campaign.

In addition to leading organizations like G4GC, TIME recognizes that Dr. Couvson’s work has taken many forms: public speaking, a documentary film, a novel, a graphic novel, a book of statistics, and a nonfiction book. Her upcoming book, “Girls, Unlimited: How to Invest in our Daughters with More than Money,” is forthcoming from the New Press. Her three decades of experience in education, civil rights, and criminal justice and in-depth research have illuminated the intersections of race, gender, education and justice to explore how Black communities, and other communities of color, are uniquely affected by social policies.

“I’m incredibly honored to be named to TIME’s ‘The Closers’ list alongside so many extraordinary leaders,” said Dr. Couvson. “This recognition is a testament to the collective work being done to create a more equitable, just world, and I remain committed to pushing boundaries and driving meaningful change for our young people.” — Dr. Monique Couvson

TIME’s ‘The Closers’ list celebrates the resilience, creativity, and leadership of Black changemakers who are tackling some of the most pressing challenges of our time. By amplifying their work, TIME highlights the urgent need for sustained efforts to bridge disparities and build equity and justice.

The full list of TIME’s 2025 ‘The Closers’ can be found here: time.com/closers.

About Dr. Monique Couvson

Monique Couvson, Ed.D.

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.

Reprinted by permission from Grantmakers for Girls of Color (G4GC). Original post: https://mailchi.mp/grantmakersforgirlsofcolor/moniquecouvson-time?e=19a0cb6625

Photo Credit: Roger Archer/ Phaats Photos