M.Simone Boyd dreams of a day when her neighborhood will be free from violence, and as a novelist, neighbor, and speaker, she is working towards that day. Whether advocating with city administrators or organizing community bike rides, Simone tells stories.
She uses her writing and creative practice — Boyd Creative Research, LLC — to amplify resident voices and secure resources for her historic Black neighborhood in Nashville, TN. To date, her efforts have helped:
- secure local, state, and federal infrastructure investments to redress disinvestment
- secure contributions from developers to address neighborhood needs
- anchor Black-home ownership
- launch a neighborhood-specific participatory budget fund
- and unseat a problematic politician
Simone is the eldest of eight kids. Her awesome husband, Phillip, is an only child. They spend their time working on neighborhood projects, trying to keep their two children productively occupied, and standing around the kitchen plotting their next meal.