Sherida V. Morrison, the visionary founder of Demoiselle 2 Femme and the South Side Coalition on Urban Girls (SSCUG).  Initially formed and convened by Demoiselle 2 Femme, NFP in 2010 as the South Side Coalition on Urban Girls (SSCUG) the Coalition on Urban Girls (CUG), is a remarkable figure in the realm of community advocacy. Recognized for her foresight and clarity, she is honored as someone who "saw so much, so early, and with such clarity." After founding the organization, Sherida gracefully passed the baton in 2018 to a new generation of leaders, ensuring the continued advancement of the mission she so passionately championed.

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Throughout her distinguished career spanning over 30 years, Sherida has been deeply committed to community-driven research, policy initiatives, and programs that address the systemic inequities faced by urban girls in Chicago. Her dedication is evident in her efforts to build multicultural bridges of collaboration, amplifying the voices of diverse communities, particularly those most affected by inequities, in the pursuit of equitable solutions.

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Under her leadership, gender-responsive programming and services have positively impacted over 7,000 girls in the Chicagoland area. Sherida has designed evidence-based curricula, published scholarly works that illuminate the holistic needs of girls, and supported the growth and research capacity of organizations serving girls both nationally and internationally.

 

Sherida’s work is dedicated to empowering girls of color, particularly Black and Latina urban girls, ensuring they have access to the resources, voice, and power necessary to thrive. By integrating community-driven research with human-centered design, she aims to dismantle the barriers of poverty, violence, health disparities, and marginalization, while fostering growth and empowerment for urban girls in all aspects of their lives.