Lateefah Simon is a politician and criminal justice reformer who overcame the challenge of congenital blindness to emerge as a dedicated activist and transformative leader. Born in San Francisco and educated at Mills College and the University of San Francisco, Simon recently succeeded Barbara Lee as congresswoman representing the East Bay.
Simon began her career at just 16, as an outreach coordinator for the Young Women’s Freedom Center in San Francisco. By 19, she became the organization’s executive director, implementing programs aimed at reducing recidivism through education, job training, and leadership development. Her innovative approach earned her the distinction of being the youngest woman to receive a MacArthur Fellowship in 2003.
In 2005, Simon was appointed by then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris to lead the “Back on Track” program, designed to assist first-time, low-level drug offenders in reintegrating into society. She also served as the executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, a nonprofit established by John F. Kennedy to mobilize attorneys to use their skills to advance the cause of equal rights.
Simon’s political career began in 2016, when she was elected to the the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors, where she advocated for the rights of the visually-impaired and other populations who rely heavily on public transit. Her tenure included serving as the board’s president in 2020.
In early 2023, she announced her candidacy for California’s 12th Congressional District, a position held by Barbara Lee for more than 25 years. Simon won the seat in a landslide victory and assumed office on January 3, 2025. She is the first congenitally blind individual and the first Muslim to represent California in Congress.
