Monique W. Couvson

“Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools” (2016)

“Black Stats: African Americans by the Numbers in the Twenty-first Century” (2014)

Black Stats—a comprehensive guide filled with contemporary facts and figures on African Americans—is an essential reference for anyone attempting to fathom the complex state of our nation. With fascinating and often surprising information on everything from incarceration rates, lending practices, and the arts to marriage, voting habits, and green jobs, the contextualized material in this book will better attune readers to telling trends while challenging commonly held, yet often misguided, perceptions.A compilation that at once highlights measures of incredible progress and enumerates the disparate impacts of social policies and practices, this book is a critical tool for advocates, educators, and policy makers. Black Stats offers indispensable information that is sure to enlighten discussions and provoke debates about the quality of Black life in the United States today—and help chart the path to a better future.There are less than a quarter-million Black public school teachers in the U.S.—representing just 7 percent of all teachers in public schools.Approximately half of the Black population in the United States lives in neighborhoods that have no White residents.In the five years before the Great Recession, the number of Black-owned businesses in the United States increased by 61 percent.A 2010 study found that 41 percent of Black youth feel that rap music videos should be more political.There are no Black owners or presidents of an NFL franchise team.78 percent of Black Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant, compared with 56 percent of White Americans.

“Poster Child, The Kemba Smith Story” (2013)

In this long-awaited memoir, Kemba Smith shares her dramatic story, as it has never been told. Poster Child: The Kemba Smith Story chronicles how she went from college student to drug dealer's girlfriend to domestic violence victim to federal prisoner. Kemba shares her story of how making poor choices blinded by love and devotion can have long-term consequences.In 1994, Kemba was sentenced to a mandatory 24 1/2 years in federal prison, with no chance for parole, despite being a first-time, non-violent offender. Fortunately, she regained her freedom when President Clinton granted her executive clemency in December 2000 after having served 6 1/2 years.Kemba's case drew support from across the nation and the world. Often being labeled the "poster child" for the campaign to reverse a disturbing trend in the rise of lengthy sentences for first-time, non-violent drug offenders, Kemba's story has been featured on CNN, Court TV, "Nightline," "Judge Hatchett," “The Early Morning Show" and a host of other television programs. In addition, Kemba's story has been featured in several publications, such as The Washington Post, The New York Times and Emerge, JET, Essence, Glamour, and People magazines.Author Bio: Kemba Smith Pradia is a wife, mother, national motivational speaker, consultant, author, and criminal justice advocate. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her courage and determination to educate the public about the devastating social, economic, and political consequences of current drug policies. Ultimately, Kemba knows there is a lesson in each experience in life, and she has embraced her experience, learned from it, and is now using that experience to teach others. For more information about Kemba, visit www.kembasmith.com.Monique W. Morris is a researcher, author, and social justice advocate who has nearly twenty years of professional and volunteer experience as a scholar advocate in the areas of civil rights and social justice. Monique is the CEO of MWM Consulting Group, LLC, a research and technical assistance firm that advances concepts of fairness, diversity, and inclusion. She is the author of Too Beautiful for Words and thirty-five published articles, book chapters, and other documents on social justice issues. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a regular contributor to MSNBC's TheGrio.com. For more information about Monique, visit www.moniquewmorris.com .keywords: Kemba Smith, Clinton Pardon/Clemency, Criminal Justice Issues, Mandatory Minimum Sentencing, Drug Dealer Girlfriend, Women in Prison, First-time offender, Domestic Violence, Women's Issues, Teen Choices/Consequences

“Too Beautiful for Words: 10th Anniversary Edition” (2012)

Seventeen-year old Angie was a good high school girl who dreamed of being a beautician--until she met Jesus, an attractive, smooth-talking pimp. Jesus lures Angie into working for him changes her name to Peaches. When Peaches's life takes a tragic turn, her son, Jason, must decide whether to continue this legacy of violence or to stop the cycle of hopelessness that threatens to swallow his own life as well.