Alumni Spotlight: Kimberly Inez McGuire Cordero
School: Hampshire College
Major: Race, Gender, and the Citizen: Constructing Political Identities
Grad year: 2006
How were you involved with URGE?
I was hired as an URGE intern (back when it was ChoiceUSA!) the summer of 2005 as part of the Civil Liberties and Public Policy program Reproductive Rights Activist Service Corps. I had the pleasure of working with the program team to put together the Gloria Steinem Leadership Institute that year and got to meet many of the amazing URGE student leaders.
What do you do now, and how do you bring a reproductive justice framework to the work you do?
Today, I’m a Senior Program Director with ConwayStrategic, a queer- and woman-owned communications firm based on Washington, D.C. I’ve spent the last decade working for reproductive justice for women, immigrants, and LGBTQ people, and today I provide message and media strategies, trainings, and tools for advocates, providers and lawmakers who want to shift attitudes and culture around reproductive health and rights.
What skills or knowledge did you learn from URGE that you use in your current work/life?
URGE gave me a powerful foundation in reproductive justice advocacy and organizing that has stuck with me throughout my career.
What are your top priorities in politics and/or reproductive justice?
Center the margins. Organize in states where the need is greatest. Support Black women’s leadership and strategies. And articulate a BOLD and inclusive vision: a future without Hyde, over-the-counter access to contraception and abortion medication, gender-affirming care for transgender and nonbinary folks, and real justice for our communities.
Who inspires you?
So many people! URGE student journalists, DREAMers, Black Lives Matter, young parents, and my mom. 😊
