OUR ORIGIN STORY
LiberatED started from a yearning to be free.
Dr. Dena Simmons originally conceived the idea of LiberatED in 2018 in a fellowship application as part of her freedom dream. Her hope was to create an exit strategy from her hostile work environment in academia.
Ultimately, she did not get selected as a fellow, but she did not let that stop her from dreaming.
Committed to creating a world where we can all be free.
After becoming a victim of a racist attack in 2020 at that same toxic job, Dr. Simmons took a leave to focus on healing.
During that time, she continued building LiberatED and eventually resigned in 2021 from her position. LiberatED is part of her self-care, liberation, and healing journey.
A journey of self-care, liberation, and healing.
Dr. Simmons is guided by Fannie Lou Hamer’s wisdom: “When I liberate myself, I liberate others.” She hopes that LiberatED will be a part of other people’s healing, care, and liberation journeys.
To build out LiberatED, she invited a trusted collective of co-conspirators to join her in bringing LiberatED’s mission and vision to life. This group spans a range of lived and work experiences and has contributed to enhancing LiberatED to what it is today.
All are committed to creating a world where young people can learn, live, and thrive in the comfort of their own skin, where we can all be free.