La'Tasha D. Mayes

Founder and Executive Director, New Voices for Reproductive Justice



La'Tasha D. Mayes, MSPPM is a nationally recognized leader in the field of Reproductive Justice, Human Rights and leadership development for women and girls of color. La'Tasha is the Founder and Executive Director of New Voices for Reproductive Justice, a multi-state organization dedicated to the health and well-being of Black women and girls headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.

New Voices advocates at the local, state and national level for Reproductive Justice - the Human Right of all people to control their bodies, sexuality, gender, work and reproduction. New Voices celebrates its 12th anniversary this year having served over 50,000 Black women and girls, women of color and LGBTQ+ people of color through New Voices Pittsburgh, New Voices Cleveland and New Voices Philadelphia. In January 2015, New Voices co-launched the national policy initiative, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda, as a leading partner. 

La’Tasha is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and she earned a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management at the Heinz School of Carnegie Mellon University. La'Tasha is the recent past National Board Chair of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective - the largest Human Rights advocacy group for Indigenous women and women of color based in Atlanta.

La'Tasha has served the Pittsburgh community as an inaugural Allegheny County Human Relations Commissioner, Social Action Chair of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. - Pittsburgh Alumnae Chapter and President of the Urban League Young Professionals of Greater Pittsburgh.

La'Tasha was recently appointed to the Pennsylvania Governor's Advisory Commission on African American Affairs and to the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Task Force for the Greater Pittsburgh Region. La'Tasha has been received numerous honors including the 2016 Coro Center for Civic Leadership Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Alumni Award, the 2016 Onyx Woman Network Pittsburgh Top 25 Woman Award and the 2016 Community Human Services Community Ally Award. Currently, La'Tasha is a 2016 Rockwood Leadership Institute Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice Fellow.

In the Pennsylvania Primary Election 2015, La'Tasha ran for Pittsburgh City Council - District 7 and earned 35% of the vote against the incumbent in her first major campaign for elected public office. La'Tasha is a passionate Reproductive Justice activist, native of West Philadelphia and believes in the indefatigable spirit of women.