nrobinson20@nul.org

Nia Eshu Martin-Robinson is a fierce, femme, queer Black woman born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Nia is a facilitator, trainer and convener who operates with a Black feminist lens and a deep desire to be of service to all Black women and girls.

Nia’s professional path as an activist and advocate began at Detroiters' Working for Environmental Justice. To sharpen her organizing skills, Nia switched gears and worked with the Service Employees International Union. From 2006-2011, she served as director of the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative, working with her team to bring the voices of women, people of color, Indigenous peoples and low-income communities to the climate change debate on a state, federal and international level. During her tenure, she co-authored “A Climate of Change: African Americans, Global Warming and a Just Climate Policy in the U.S.,” a report examining the impacts of climate change and climate change policy on African Americans.

Led by the belief that reproductive and sexual autonomy for women, queer folx of color, Indigenous women and low-income women is a human right and inextricably linked to being able to exist in a safe and healthy environment, Nia’s work has often focused on creating dialogue at the intersections of climate, reproductive and environmental justice. Her work explores the disproportionate impact of environmental issues on women and girls of color and the reemergence of population control rhetoric in the climate change debate, delving into the dangerous implications this has on marginalized communities.

From 2009-2013, Nia’s focus on centering women of color led her to serve as the activist-in-residence at Bennett College for Women, one of two historically Black colleges for women. At Bennett, Nia completed her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in women’s studies and political science and minors in sociology and global studies as a non-traditional student.

Today, Nia’s professional focus is centered around reproductive health, rights and justice. She is lending her talents and expertise to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund as the director of Back Leadership and Engagement, working to build a collective strategy and vision for Black work at the organization.

Nia also serves as vice board chair of SPARK RJ Now and sits on the board of SIECUS.