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Cecile Richards        

Co-Founder of Supermajority & Gender Equity Advocate; Former President of Planned Parenthood

Cecile Richards, co-founder of Supermajority and former President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, is a globally respected activist and social justice leader. Named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list, Richards is celebrated for her vocal, dedicated and strategic leadership as well as her extensive advocacy experience at grassroots organizations, in the non-profit sector and in Washington. The author of the instant New York Times Bestseller, "Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead", Richards offers powerful insights and sharp commentary on leadership, women’s rights, social justice, and politics. A dynamic and empowering speaker who has addressed audiences everywhere from Talks at Google to Harvard University, Richard motivates audiences to action.

In 2019, Richards launched Supermajority, a new home for women’s activism, training, and the mobilization of a multiracial, intergenerational community to fight for gender equality. While at the helm of Planned Parenthood, Richards led a federation of more than 600 health centers, providing high-quality health care to millions of people each year, and directed a staff of more than 500 in the national offices. Under Richard's leadership, Planned Parenthood expanded advocacy efforts to include fighting for access to health care, and she leaves Planned Parenthood with 12M supporters and counting, four times more than when she joined.

Before joining Planned Parenthood, Richards served as deputy chief of staff for House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. In 2004, she founded and served as president of America Votes, a coalition of 42 national grassroots organizations working to maximize registration, education, and voter participation. She began her career organizing low-wage workers in the hotel, health care, and janitorial industries throughout California, Louisiana, and Texas.

Speech Topics

Make Trouble

CECILE RICHARDS has been an activist since she was taken to the principal’s office in seventh grade for wearing an armband in protest of the Vietnam War. Richards had an extraordinary childhood in ultra-conservative Texas, where her civil rights attorney father and activist mother taught their kids to be troublemakers. In the Richards household, the “dinner table was never for eating—it was for sorting precinct lists.”

From the time Richards was a girl, she had a front-row seat to observe the rise of women in American politics. She watched her mother, Ann, transform from a housewife to an electrifying force in the Democratic party who made a name for herself as the straight-talking, truth-telling governor of Texas. But Richards also witnessed the pitfalls of public life that are unique to women. Her experiences paint a powerful portrait of the misogyny, sexism, fake news, and even the threat of violence confronting those who challenge authority.

As a young woman, Richards worked as a labor organizer alongside women earning minimum wage, and learned that those in power don’t give it up without a fight. Now, after years of advocacy, resistance, and progressive leadership, she shares her story for the first time— from the joy and heartbreak of activism to the challenges of raising kids, having a life, and making change, all at the same time.

In this powerful and compelling program, Richards shines a light on the people and lessons that have gotten her through good times and bad, and encourages audiences to take risks, make mistakes, and make trouble along the way.

Women and Politics

Former President of Planned Parenthood CECILE RICHARDS is a globally respected activist and social justice leader, renowned for her extensive advocacy work at grassroots organizations, in the non-profit sector and in Washington. Currently at the helm of Supermajority-- a non-partisan home for women’s activism, training, and the mobilization of a multiracial, intergenerational community to fight for gender equality—Richards is on the frontlines of the fight to put the issues women care most about at the top of the agenda.

In remarks that are candid, forward-looking and balanced, Richards offers powerful insights and sharp commentary on women as a political force. She paints an illuminating picture of the women’s movement nationwide, voter mobilization, and our political future.

News

Cecile Richards: ‘I’m Sick Of Men Telling Us What To Do With Our Bodies’
Cecile Richards has had enough with politicians who want to legislate women’s health. The Planned Parenthood President made that much clear during a candid conversation with Fusion’s Alicia Menendez at Tina Brown’s Annual Women In The World Summit on Thursday.
Planned Parenthood chief slams 'sensationalized videos'
Cecile Richards, the Planned Parenthood president, criticized videos that show the organization's doctors discussing the sale of aborted fetal tissue on Sunday.

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