Asia Brown
Co-Founder/Co-Director
Asia Brown (she/her/hers) is a graduating senior at Spelman College from Vicksburg, MS. Asia is a reproductive justice advocate passionate about period equity, abortion access, and Black maternal health. Asia aspires to be a nurse-midwife and open a birth center for Black women after attending nursing school at Emory University. Asia became an ambassador for The Pad Project in August 2020. It is through her work with The Pad Project that Asia learned about the period equity movement and the need to center marginalized communities in that space. Asia started 601 for Period Equity because she is passionate about all menstruators having access to the period care products they need!
Laila Brown
Co-Founder/Co-Director
Laila Brown (she/they) is a 17-year-old graduating senior at Warren Central High School in Vicksburg, MS. Laila is an active member of her academic environment and her community. Laila has organizing experience from her time working with the Homegirl Project Fellowship, the Teen Health Mississippi Youth Council, and the Pad Project's Student Ambassador program. She is passionate about reproductive justice because of her belief in womanism and people's right to agency. She plans to attend college in the fall as a sociology major and documentary fi
Maisie Brown
Jackson Branch Leader
Maisie Brown is an 21 year old Mississippi native, activist, and organizer. Throughout the years, she’s published several pieces about the need for the change of the state flag, state universities, and the need for a call for change to Mississippi. Upon graduation from Murrah High School, she co-organized Jackson’s Black Lives Matter protest in the summer of 2020 that was the largest protest since the 1960’s civil rights era in the state of Mississippi. She leads the Jackson branch of a nonprofit- student founded reproductive justice organization that provides feminine hygiene products to people and incarcerated women in need. She has been featured in publications and news outlets such as Glamour Magazine, Teen Vogue, and Essence amongst others surrounding her advocacy and organizing work during the Jackson water crisis. She currently studies political science at Jackson State University, Youth Program Director at the Institute for Democratic Education in America and is the advocacy and organizing coordinator at the ACLU of Mississippi.
Shaquavia Straughn
Laurel, MS/Atlanta, GA Branch Leader
Shaquavia Straughn (She/Her) is an Education Analyst at RTI International studies culturally responsive and equitable education for minoritized communities. In addition, She is attending Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta Georgia, studying Behavioral, Social & Health Education. An Alumna of Spelman College, her advocacy is focused on culturally relevant and equitable health education around mental and physical health issues disproportionately affecting communities of color. She is the lead for the Laurel-Hattiesburg area of 601 and the coordinator for the North Atlanta area.
Soli Evans
Co-Public Relations
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Kourtney Payne
Co-Public Relations
Kourtney Payne (she/her/hers) is a 20-year-old Junior at Spelman College majoring in Sociology and Anthropology and minoring in Public Health. Kourtney is a self-proclaimed womanist, scholar-activist, and reproductive and sexual health advocate. Kourtney is involved in numerous social justice advocacy initiatives on and off Spelman College's campus, including her position as Pad Project Coordinator within Spelman College's Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity (URGE) chapter. Through this position, Kourtney volunteers her time refilling Aunt Flow dispensers around campus to consistently ensure Spelman College students have access to free menstrual products. As a scholar-activist, Kourtney spends her time as a fellow of the UNCF/Mellon Mays Fellowship, advocating for the sexual liberational stories of Black, queer, and femme women to be researched, told, and understood in a sociological manner. With family living in Jackson, Mississippi, Kourtney hopes to use her time at 601 for Period Equity to spread awareness of period stigma!
Kennedy Hampton
Co-Outreach Coordinator
Kennedy Hampton is a Junior at Jackson State University where she majors in Social Work. Kennedy is excited to be a part of the team!