Loretta J. Ross is a nationally renowned activist, public intellectual, and professor whose work over the past five decades has transformed how we think about human rights, equity, and social change. A sought-after speaker and strategist, she helps leaders, institutions, and communities navigate complexity with courage, clarity, and compassion. She is among the most prominent voices of “Calling In,” a transformative approach that invites empathy, accountability, and grace into difficult conversations. Her newest book, Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel (2025), builds on her nationally acclaimed work challenging cancel culture and offering a more compassionate framework for fostering dialogue across difference. As a 2022 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Loretta is helping redefine what it means to do justice work in our polarized times.
Loretta’s activism began in the 1970s, and in 1978 she became the third executive director of the DC Rape Crisis Center, the first of its kind in the United States. Her work there addressing sexual violence, particularly within communities of color, helped lay the foundation for what would later become the #MeToo movement. This formative experience grounded her in the women’s movement and introduced her to the intersections of reproductive rights, racial justice, and anti-violence advocacy. She went on to co-found the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective and held leadership roles with the National Organization for Women (NOW), the National Black Women’s Health Project, and the National Anti-Klan Network. In 1996, she founded the Center for Human Rights Education—the first organization of its kind in the U.S.—to promote human rights as a unifying framework for social justice, emphasizing collaboration over division.
She is the co-author of three influential books on reproductive justice: Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organize for Reproductive Justice, Reproductive Justice: An Introduction, and Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundations, Theory, Practice, Critique. She is currently an Associate Professor at Smith College, where she continues to inspire students, educators, and changemakers to lead with empathy, strategy, and collective purpose.
In 2023, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Calling In: Navigating Challenging Conversations and Cultivating Compassionate Connections
With the rise of cancel culture, we often find ourselves embroiled in disagreements rather than focusing on our shared goal of advocating for human rights. To build solidarity in our work and communities, we must adopt a strategy that unites us and embraces our differences. In this transformative session, educator, activist and scholar Loretta Ross introduces the powerful practice of “Calling In”—a compassionate alternative to canceling that emphasizes accountability, empathy, and connection. Through engaging storytelling and real-world insights, participants will explore how to navigate difficult conversations, foster deeper understanding across differences, and create more inclusive and resilient communities. Learn how to meet people where they are, while staying rooted in justice and shared humanity.
An Evening with Loretta Ross
This moderated conversation offers an opportunity to hear directly from Loretta Ross as she reflects on her life’s work at the intersection of activism, education, and cultural change. Through storytelling, insight, and lived experience, Ross invites audiences into a powerful dialogue about justice, accountability, and collective liberation. Designed to be responsive to your campus or organization, this event encourages deep reflection and connection in a time that calls for both.
Reproductive Freedom for All: Reproductive Justice as Human Rights
In a time when reproductive rights are under renewed and escalating attack across the U.S., it’s more important than ever to understand the broader framework of Reproductive Justice—a movement that goes beyond the politics of abortion to address the full spectrum of human rights issues affecting bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom. Coined by Black women activists, including Loretta Ross, in 1994, Reproductive Justice centers the lived experiences of those most impacted by intersecting systems of oppression. This timely and powerful presentation explores how reproductive freedom means not just the right to abortion, but the right to have children, to not have children, and to parent in safe and sustainable communities. As courts, lawmakers, and institutions continue to limit access and silence voices, this framework offers a powerful roadmap for intersectional activism, coalition-building, and transformative change.
How We Got Here: History, Responsibility, and the Work Ahead
A veteran of social movements, Loretta Ross draws on decades of activism and historical reflection to unpack the roots of today’s challenges and offer pathways for shaping what comes next. This talk goes beyond surface conversations about allyship or intent. Ross invites audiences into a deeper understanding of the patterns of the past, how they’ve shaped our current divides, how they’ve been resisted through collective action, and how we can interrupt them by choosing to live more informed, connected, and intersectional lives. With clarity, compassion, and a grounding in both history and hope, she helps audiences navigate complexity without fear, offering a powerful foundation for building stronger, more connected communities.
Reframing Campus Sexual Assault: A Human Rights Crisis
Loretta Ross is a longtime advocate for survivors of sexual violence, a path that began after her own experience as a survivor. In 1979, she began volunteering at the Washington D.C. Rape Crisis Center, the first in the nation, where she worked to support those affected by sexual harm and push for systemic change. Today, campus sexual assault remains a deeply rooted issue, with one in five women reporting experiences of assault during college. In this timely and thought-provoking talk, Ross calls on us to reframe campus sexual violence as a human rights issue. She challenges narratives that blame or silence survivors and invites audiences to imagine new approaches centered on accountability, education, and lasting cultural change.
