Carli Pierson is a multi-lingual opinion columnist and editor at USA TODAY, where she writes on a wide range of topics, including parenting (and imperfect motherhood), feminism and sexual and gender-based violence, law and social justice (and racism in policing), mental health and resilience, history (especially ancient Greece, Rome and Sicily), fashion and lifestyle topics (including cannabis), politics, Mexico-U.S. relations, U.S. law, international human rights law, and the war in Gaza.
Carli is also an experienced moderator and has moderated discussions on abortion rights, WNBA player Brittney Griner’s imprisonment in Russia, qualified immunity and other topics for USA TODAY.
She recently finished a consultancy for the international feminist NGO, Equality Now, on ending sexual violence in Latin America through good laws, with a special focus on rape laws in the Americas (including Canada and the U.S.).
Carli was the first person in the U.S. to receive a BA in Islamic World Studies from DePaul University in 2006, and in 2012, received her Juris Doctorate from Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad Law Center, cum laude, with a concentration in international law.
In addition to academic publications, Carli’s work as a freelance opinion writer and reporter has appeared in: USA Today special edition publications, Open Democracy, Al Jazeera, PBS, Independent UK, National Catholic Reporter, Parents, Romper, Ravishly, and the Women News Network.
SPEAKER TOPICS
Carli approaches serious topics by helping audiences relax with a self-deprecating sense of humor but deep knowledge and compassionate, deeply thought out takes on big, sometimes controversial, issues of the day. She is a vivid storyteller who engages deeply with her audience and takes a solutions-oriented approach to her writing, moderating, and speaking. Carli is available for keynotes in Spanish and English.
- Sexual and gender-based violence (rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, digital sexual harassment, consent, trauma), gender-based violence (domestic abuse, working with survivors, femicide, parental alienation) from a feminist perspective.
- Parenting and the difficulties of motherhood in today’s digital, “Instagrammable” society, self-compassion, postpartum depression, “late-bloomers,” and drawing on global parenting concepts from other societies that we can draw on to be better to ourselves and our children.
- Writing and editing for non-journalism majors: How to get in, get better, get published, and how to be solutions-oriented.
- Law: U.S. Law (criminal, family, and immigration), international human rights law and international criminal law as it relates to current issues from Russia’s war on Ukraine, global heating and human rights, rape under international law, and other relevant, timely topics.
- Social justice: Racism in policing, gun violence, women’s rights, immigration, the war in Gaza.
- Cannabis: social justice issues surrounding its legalization. Lifestyle and cannabis.
- Politics: Progressive politics and finding humor and areas of agreement across the aisle (can work with conservative audiences on this same issue), political polarization and how it’s hurting our “bottom line.”
- Mental health and resilience: Failure and crisis as a source of opportunity
BROADCAST MEDIA EXPERIENCE
CNNE (IN SPANISH)
MSNBC – ABORTION BANS IN THE U.S.
ABC NEWS – PRESSURE ON MOMS TO BREASTFEED
USA TODAY – POLITICS AND FASHION AT THE MET GALA
RADIO ISLAM
NEWS NATION WITH LEELAND VITTERT – BIDEN PRESIDENCY AND POLLS (STARTING AT 22:21)
SMERCONISH PODCAST – WITH CNN’S MICHAEL SMERCONISH