Cecile Richards: A Champion of Change

Cecile Richards: A Champion of Change Cecile Richards is not your average everyday hero. No, she’s the kind of person who makes you think, Wow, I should really do more with my life. Born into a family of changemakers (her mom, Ann Richards, was the feisty governor of Texas), Cecile was practically destined to shake things up. And shake things up she did! As the former president of Planned Parenthood, Cecile spent more than a decade advocating for reproductive health and women’s rights. Under her leadership, the organization not only survived but thrived, despite facing more controversy than pineapple pizza. (Seriously, why does everyone fight over that? It’s just pizza.) Richards’ journey didn’t start at Planned Parenthood, though. She worked as a labor organizer, fighting for fair wages and better working conditions. Imagine trying to convince a room full of skeptics to band together for a cause — and succeeding! That’s Cecile for you: part activist, part diplomat, and 100% determined.