She started her undergraduate career at Oxnard College where she studied General Liberal Arts and received an associate degree.
Gallery of Carmen Perez
1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
She then transferred to the University of California – Santa Cruz as a Psychology major where she also studied Chicana Feminism and was involved in Rainbow Theater.
Career
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2015
1234 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001, USA
Carmen Perez (L) and Bonnie McDaniel attend "An Evening With John Legend" hosted by POLITICO to kick-off White House Correspondents' weekend at Longview Gallery on April 24, 2015 in Washington, DC.
(April 22, 2015 - Source: Brad Barket/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
Washington, DC., United States
Carmen Perez speaks onstage during the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC.
(Source: Theo Wargo/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
55 Wall St, New York, NY 10005, USA
Bob Bland, Linda Sarsour, and Carmen Perez, Co-Chairs of The Women's March speak onstage at the The 21st Annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on May 15, 2017 in New York City.
(May 14, 2017 - Source: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
1027 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11226, USA
Women's March Organizers Cassady Fendlay, Carmen Perez, Brea Baker, De'Ara Balenger attend Glamour's 2017 Women of The Year Awards at Kings Theatre on November 13, 2017 in Brooklyn, New York.
(Source: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
55 Wall St, New York, NY 10005, USA
(L-R) Carmen Perez, Bob Bland, Linda Sarsour, Co-Chairs of The Women's March attend the The 21st Annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on May 15, 2017 in New York City.
(May 14, 2017 - Source: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
130 Bowery, New York, NY 10013, USA
Bob Bland, Tamika D Mallory, Linda Sarsour, Carmen Perez, Cassidy Findley speak onstage at the Ms. Foundation for Women 2017 Gloria Awards Gala & After Party at Capitale on May 3, 2017 in New York City.
(May 2, 2017 - Source: Monica Schipper/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
130 Bowery, New York, NY 10013, USA
Honorees Tamika D Mallory, Carmen Perez, and Linda Sarsour attend the Ms. Foundation for Women 2017 Gloria Awards Gala & After Party at Capitale on May 3, 2017 in New York City.
(May 2, 2017 - Source: Monica Schipper/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
130 Bowery, New York, NY 10013, USA
Honorees Tamika D Mallory and Carmen Perez attend the Ms. Foundation for Women 2017 Gloria Awards Gala & After Party at Capitale on May 3, 2017 in New York City.
(May 2, 2017 - Source: Monica Schipper/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
130 Bowery, New York, NY 10013, USA
(L-R) Women's March Co-Chairs and honorees Carmen Perez, Bob Bland, Tamika D Mallory and Linda Sarsour attend the Ms. Foundation for Women 2017 Gloria Awards Gala & After Party at Capitale on May 3, 2017 in New York City.
(May 2, 2017 - Source: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
10 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023, USA
(L-R) Women's March National Co-Chairs Linda Sarsour, Bob Bland, Tamika D. Mallory, and Carmen Perez attend the 2017 Time 100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 25, 2017 in New York City.
(April 24, 2017 - Source: Jemal Countess/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
60 Furman St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
Women's March National Co-Chair Carmen Perez speaks onstage during Vanity Fairs Founders Fair at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge on April 20, 2017 in Brooklyn City.
(April 19, 2017 - Source: Andrew Toth/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
New York, NY 10012, USA
Carmen Perez speaks during ARTISTIC UPRISING - A Call For Revolutionary Love at Washington Square Park on February 14, 2017 in New York City.
(Source: Anna Webber/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
Washington, DC., United States
Linda Sarsour, Carmen Perez and Charlie Brotman attend the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC.
(Source: Theo Wargo/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
528 West 39th Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10018, United States
Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour, and Bob Bland take a selfie before the Mara Hoffman collection during, New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Shop Studios on February 13, 2017 in New York City.
(Source: Robin Marchant/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
528 West 39th Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10018, United States
Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour, Bob Bland, and Carmen Perez pose before the Mara Hoffman collection during, New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Shop Studios on February 13, 2017 in New York City.
(Source: Robin Marchant/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
528 West 39th Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10018, United States
Carmen Perez poses before the Mara Hoffman collection during, New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Shop Studios on February 13, 2017 in New York City.
(Source: Robin Marchant/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
Washington, DC., United States
(L-R back row) Carmen Perez, Gloria Steinem, Linda Sarsour and (front row) Mia Ives-Rublee
(Source: Theo Wargo/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2017
Washington, DC., United States
(L-R back row) Bob Bland, Nantasha Williams, Jamiah Adams, Ginny Suss, Carmen Perez, Gloria Steinem, Linda Sarsour, Janaye Ingram and (front row) Mia Ives-Rublee appear onstage during the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC.
(Source: Theo Wargo/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2018
315 Deshler St SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA
Social Movement Award Honorees Carmen Perez, Tamika D. Mallory, Bob Bland, and Linda Sarsour on stage during the BET's Social Awards 2018 at Tyler Perry Studio on February 11, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Source: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2018
315 Deshler St SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA
(L-R) Bob Bland, Tamika D. Mallory, Linda Sarsour and Carmen Perez attends BET's Social Awards 2018 at Tyler Perry Studio on February 11, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Source: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2018
315 Deshler St SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA
(L-R) Bob Bland, Tamika D. Mallory, Linda Sarsour and Carmen Perez attends BET's Social Awards 2018 at Tyler Perry Studio on February 11, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Source: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2018
7000 E Russell Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89122, USA
Women's March Co-Chairwoman Carmen Perez raises her first onstage during the Women's March "Power to the Polls" voter registration tour launch at Sam Boyd Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Demonstrators across the nation gathered over the weekend, one year after the historic Women's March on Washington, D.C., to protest President Donald Trump's administration and to raise awareness for women's issues.
(Source: Ethan Miller/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of Carmen Perez
2018
7000 E Russell Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89122, USA
Women's March Co-Chairwomen Carmen Perez (L) and Tamika D. Mallory hug onstage during the Women's March "Power to the Polls" voter registration tour launch at Sam Boyd Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Demonstrators across the nation gathered over the weekend, one year after the historic Women's March on Washington, D.C., to protest President Donald Trump's administration and to raise awareness for women's issues.
(Source: Ethan Miller/Getty Images North America)
Achievements
Glamour cover
Membership
Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos
August, 2008
National Juvenile Justice Network/Juvenile Justice Leadership Institute
August, 2012 - July, 2013
Awards
United Way's Community Hero Award
NAACP Image Award
Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world
Carmen Perez (L) and Bonnie McDaniel attend "An Evening With John Legend" hosted by POLITICO to kick-off White House Correspondents' weekend at Longview Gallery on April 24, 2015 in Washington, DC.
(April 22, 2015 - Source: Brad Barket/Getty Images North America)
Carmen Perez speaks onstage during the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC.
(Source: Theo Wargo/Getty Images North America)
Bob Bland, Linda Sarsour, and Carmen Perez, Co-Chairs of The Women's March speak onstage at the The 21st Annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on May 15, 2017 in New York City.
(May 14, 2017 - Source: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images North America)
Women's March Organizers Cassady Fendlay, Carmen Perez, Brea Baker, De'Ara Balenger attend Glamour's 2017 Women of The Year Awards at Kings Theatre on November 13, 2017 in Brooklyn, New York.
(Source: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images North America)
(L-R) Carmen Perez, Bob Bland, Linda Sarsour, Co-Chairs of The Women's March attend the The 21st Annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on May 15, 2017 in New York City.
(May 14, 2017 - Source: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images North America)
Bob Bland, Tamika D Mallory, Linda Sarsour, Carmen Perez, Cassidy Findley speak onstage at the Ms. Foundation for Women 2017 Gloria Awards Gala & After Party at Capitale on May 3, 2017 in New York City.
(May 2, 2017 - Source: Monica Schipper/Getty Images North America)
Honorees Tamika D Mallory, Carmen Perez, and Linda Sarsour attend the Ms. Foundation for Women 2017 Gloria Awards Gala & After Party at Capitale on May 3, 2017 in New York City.
(May 2, 2017 - Source: Monica Schipper/Getty Images North America)
Honorees Tamika D Mallory and Carmen Perez attend the Ms. Foundation for Women 2017 Gloria Awards Gala & After Party at Capitale on May 3, 2017 in New York City.
(May 2, 2017 - Source: Monica Schipper/Getty Images North America)
(L-R) Women's March Co-Chairs and honorees Carmen Perez, Bob Bland, Tamika D Mallory and Linda Sarsour attend the Ms. Foundation for Women 2017 Gloria Awards Gala & After Party at Capitale on May 3, 2017 in New York City.
(May 2, 2017 - Source: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images North America)
(L-R) Women's March National Co-Chairs Linda Sarsour, Bob Bland, Tamika D. Mallory, and Carmen Perez attend the 2017 Time 100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 25, 2017 in New York City.
(April 24, 2017 - Source: Jemal Countess/Getty Images North America)
Women's March National Co-Chair Carmen Perez speaks onstage during Vanity Fairs Founders Fair at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge on April 20, 2017 in Brooklyn City.
(April 19, 2017 - Source: Andrew Toth/Getty Images North America)
Carmen Perez speaks during ARTISTIC UPRISING - A Call For Revolutionary Love at Washington Square Park on February 14, 2017 in New York City.
(Source: Anna Webber/Getty Images North America)
Linda Sarsour, Carmen Perez and Charlie Brotman attend the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC.
(Source: Theo Wargo/Getty Images North America)
528 West 39th Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10018, United States
Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour, and Bob Bland take a selfie before the Mara Hoffman collection during, New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Shop Studios on February 13, 2017 in New York City.
(Source: Robin Marchant/Getty Images North America)
528 West 39th Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10018, United States
Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour, Bob Bland, and Carmen Perez pose before the Mara Hoffman collection during, New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Shop Studios on February 13, 2017 in New York City.
(Source: Robin Marchant/Getty Images North America)
528 West 39th Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10018, United States
Carmen Perez poses before the Mara Hoffman collection during, New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Shop Studios on February 13, 2017 in New York City.
(Source: Robin Marchant/Getty Images North America)
(L-R back row) Bob Bland, Nantasha Williams, Jamiah Adams, Ginny Suss, Carmen Perez, Gloria Steinem, Linda Sarsour, Janaye Ingram and (front row) Mia Ives-Rublee appear onstage during the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC.
(Source: Theo Wargo/Getty Images North America)
Social Movement Award Honorees Carmen Perez, Tamika D. Mallory, Bob Bland, and Linda Sarsour on stage during the BET's Social Awards 2018 at Tyler Perry Studio on February 11, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Source: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images North America)
(L-R) Bob Bland, Tamika D. Mallory, Linda Sarsour and Carmen Perez attends BET's Social Awards 2018 at Tyler Perry Studio on February 11, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Source: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images North America)
(L-R) Bob Bland, Tamika D. Mallory, Linda Sarsour and Carmen Perez attends BET's Social Awards 2018 at Tyler Perry Studio on February 11, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Source: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images North America)
Women's March Co-Chairwoman Carmen Perez raises her first onstage during the Women's March "Power to the Polls" voter registration tour launch at Sam Boyd Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Demonstrators across the nation gathered over the weekend, one year after the historic Women's March on Washington, D.C., to protest President Donald Trump's administration and to raise awareness for women's issues.
(Source: Ethan Miller/Getty Images North America)
Women's March Co-Chairwomen Carmen Perez (L) and Tamika D. Mallory hug onstage during the Women's March "Power to the Polls" voter registration tour launch at Sam Boyd Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Demonstrators across the nation gathered over the weekend, one year after the historic Women's March on Washington, D.C., to protest President Donald Trump's administration and to raise awareness for women's issues.
(Source: Ethan Miller/Getty Images North America)
She then transferred to the University of California – Santa Cruz as a Psychology major where she also studied Chicana Feminism and was involved in Rainbow Theater.
Why We March: Signs of Protest and Hope - Voices from the Women's March
(National Bestseller On January 21, 2017, millions of peop...)
National Bestseller On January 21, 2017, millions of people gathered worldwide for the Women’s March, one of the largest demonstrations in political history. Together they raised their voices in hope, protest, and solidarity. This inspiring collection features 500 of the most eloquent, provocative, uplifting, clever, and creative signs from across the United States and around the world. Each is a powerful reminder of why we march. As with the recent battle cry of “Nevertheless, she persisted,” these messages continue to reverberate daily and fortify a movement that will not be silenced. All royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to Planned Parenthood. National Bestseller On January 21, 2017, millions of people gathered worldwide for the Women’s March, one of the largest demonstrations in political history. Together they raised their voices in hope, protest, and solidarity. This inspiring collection features 500 of the most eloquent, provocative, uplifting, clever, and creative signs from across the United States and around the world. Each is a powerful reminder of why we march. As with the recent battle cry of “Nevertheless, she persisted,” these messages continue to reverberate daily and fortify a movement that will not be silenced. All royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to Planned Parenthood.
Carmen Beatrice Perez is recognized as an expert in juvenile and criminal justice reform, system accountability, and an activist who has worked on issues of civil rights, including mass incarceration, women’s rights and gender equity, violence prevention, racial healing and community policing. She is the Executive Director of The Gathering for Justice. She was one of four national co-chairs of the 2017 Women's March.
Background
Perez was born on January 21, 1977, in Oxnard, California, to Marcel Perez and Alicia Ramirez Perez. The youngest of five siblings, she grew up playing basketball, softball, and running track as well as dancing hip hop. In 1994, her sister Patricia was killed and the funeral coincided with Perez’s 17th birthday. Perez has said it was her sister’s death that inspired her to dedicate her life to initiatives that would help transform the lives of young people. “I remember somebody coming to our home, asking if we wanted to press charges. And my father said ‘I would never take another mother’s child away,’” Perez said. “And so I didn’t learn restorative justice from studying it. I learned it from a man who would never take another mother’s child away.”
Education
Perez went to Hueneme High School. Then she started her undergraduate career at Oxnard College where she studied General Liberal Arts and received an associate degree. She then transferred to the University of California – Santa Cruz as a Psychology major where she also studied Chicana Feminism and was involved in Rainbow Theater. She credits this time as formative to her dedication to intersectional and transformative leadership. Through the Chicano Latino Resource Center, Carmen was mentored by psychology professor and Chicana feminist Aida Hurtado who she also worked for as her research assistant.
In 2001, Perez began work with the Santa Cruz Youth Community Restoration Program, providing alternatives to incarceration for juvenile offenders. In this position she established Reforming Education Advocating Leadership (REAL), a youth mentoring program. In 2003, she was elected to serve as the Chair of the Latino Affairs Commission of Santa Cruz County. Perez also co-founded the Girl’s Taskforce to provide gender-responsive programming for girls, regardless of probation status, in Santa Cruz County.
In 2004, Perez began working for her mentor, Nane Alejandrez, as his executive assistant and the prison project coordinator focused on cultural programming inside youth detention centers and prisons. In 2005, Alejandrez invited Perez to serve as a youth representative for The Gathering for Justice, a social justice organization established in 2005 by singer, songwriter, actor and activist Harry Belafonte. Perez would go on to become the organization’s National Organizing Director in 2008 and was promoted to Executive Director in 2010.
In 2006, Perez became a board member of Barrios Unidos and began working for the Santa Cruz County probation department as an intake and investigations officer focused on system accountability. In 2007, she was promoted to Deputy Probation Officer II, providing gender responsive programming for an intensive caseload of girls. During this time, she also coached Varsity High School Girls’ basketball at Pajaro Valley High School.
In 2008, Carmen Perez moved to NYC and began working full-time as the National Organizer for The Gathering for Justice. Since 2010, she has served as the Executive Director of The Gathering for Justice, a social justice organization dedicated to ending child incarceration by utilizing Kingian nonviolent direct action, engaging artists and cultural leaders, advocating for policy initiatives and providing direct services inside juvenile facilities. From 2011-2013 she also developed Purple Gold, a young leaders program for 1199 SEIU.
In 2013, Perez co-founded Justice League NYC, a taskforce of young criminal justice experts, direct service providers, activists, advocates, artists and formerly incarcerated individuals bringing their resources to the table to create a blueprint to reform the criminal and social justice system in New York City and State. She organized Growing Up Locked Down, a three-day juvenile justice reform conference, in New York City in 2014 and a second in her hometown of Oxnard, California in 2016. The Oxnard conference was the beginning of Justice League CA.
In May 2014, she had the opportunity to share her life’s work and delivered her 1st TEDx Talk inside Ironwood State Prisonnhosted by Richard Branson and produced by Scott Budnick. In 2015, Perez testified as a criminal and juvenile justice reform expert before the President’s 21st Century Taskforce on Policing.
In 2017, Perez was a national co-chair of the Women's March on Washington, with Tamika D. Mallory, Bob Bland, and Linda Sarsour. Perez's contributions included facilitating the creation of the mobilization's Unity Principles, leading the Artist Table and Honorary Co-Chair selection, and recruiting over 500 partners. In addition, The Gathering for Justice, the organization for which she serves as Executive Director, was a fiscal sponsor of the Women's March on Washington and donated its office space to organizers during the planning phase. She was a panelist at the 2017 Women's National Convention.
Carmen has worked with countless influencers, celebrities, athletes, and artists on making activism a more intentional part of their life, collaborating on projects that intersect culture with activism, and helping them leverage their platforms and resources for the movement. Some who Carmen has worked closely with have been Danny Glover, America Ferrera, Hot97 hosts Ebro and Nessa, Jussie Smollett, and Colin Kaepernick. On November 16, 2017, she publicized the case of Meek Mill.
Perez was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2017, as well as Fortune's 50 Top World Leaders and Glamour's Women of the Year. She was named a "Latina of the Year" in 2017. She has also been recognized for her contributions to criminal justice reform, with the "Gutsy Award" from the National Juvenile Justice Network, a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for Outstanding and Invaluable Service to the Community, the Santa Cruz County Women’s Commission “Trailblazer’s Award in Criminal Justice”, and the “Zaragoza Award” from the Committee for the Mexican Culture at D.V.I. Prison in Tracy, for her contribution and dedication to bringing hope to incarcerated men.
(National Bestseller On January 21, 2017, millions of peop...)
2017
Politics
Bari Weiss has criticized Perez for her support of Assata Shakur, a former Black Liberation Army member convicted of murder, and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Asked about her support for Farrakhan, Perez responded that there are "no perfect leaders".
Views
Carmen Perez has dedicated 20 years to advocating for many of today's important civil rights issues, including mass incarceration, gender equity, violence prevention, racial healing and community policing.
Membership
Perez is a member ot the Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos. She was a Fellow of the National Juvenile Justice Network, Juvenile Justice Leadership Institute.
Board Member
Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos
August, 2008
Fellow
National Juvenile Justice Network/Juvenile Justice Leadership Institute
August, 2012 - July, 2013
Personality
Physical Characteristics:
Hair color - black
Eyes color - brown
Quotes from others about the person
Actress Jackie Cruz has consistently praised Carmen for unlocking her zeal for social causes. “She trained me to not care anymore and just fight for what you believe in,” said Cruz in a 2018 interview with Bustle.
Tamika Danielle Mallory is an activist and the national co-chair for the Women's March. She is an advocate of gun control, feminism, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Linda Sarsour is an American political activist and former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York. She has prominently advocated on behalf of American Muslims and other civil rights issues such as police brutality, immigration policy, and mass incarceration.
Mari Lynn Bland, better known as Bob Bland is an American fashion designer, and activist. In 2017, Bland created and co-chaired the 2017 Women's March.
