We are proud to announce the appointment of Shanelle Matthews to the Rewire board of directors. She brings a wealth of expertise and energy to the organization, and we cannot wait to see her in action. We wanted to introduce Matthews to our readers so you can learn more about Rewire leadership.

RH Reality Check: Let’s start with the basics. Tell us about what you do and your affiliations.

Shanelle Matthews: I’m a communications strategist. That is a fancy way of saying I help people distill complex issues and ideas and make them palatable for the people they are trying to reach. My philosophy is that my passion drives my desire to communicate about my work but it is not what makes my work successful. That takes strategy. And if you’re doing it right the same is probably true for your work.

I went to the Manship School of Mass Communications at Louisiana State University, where I studied journalism.

I do a lot of things, perhaps too many; here are a few:

I am the vice chair of the board of directors for the National Network of Abortion Funds. We work in collaboration with our nearly 100 member grassroots abortion funds in 38 states and five countries to make sure that all women and girls can get the abortions they seek.

I am a co-founder and member of Black Women Birthing Justice. We are a collective of African-American, African, Caribbean, and multiracial women who are committed to transforming birthing experiences for Black women.

I am the Bay Area chapter lead for Women, Action and the Media (WAM!). We’re dedicated to building a robust, effective, inclusive movement for gender justice in media.

And I am a member of Echoing Ida, a program of Forward Together that supports the leadership and amplifies the voices of Black women, developing generations of thought leaders and skilled communicators for the social justice movement.

Rewire: Why are you excited to serve on our board?

SM: When I was a senior in college I was fired from the school newspaper. I was warned once, possibly more, by the editor-in-chief that my activism, on and off campus, had to take a backseat to my writing—that journalists were to report the news, not make it. For me, being a journalist and an activist weren’t mutually exclusive. My commitment to the issues I wrote about was rooted in my experiences. One informed the other and separating the two was fundamentally impossible.

Rewire is the manifestation of what I wanted for myself, and activists like me, when I was in college. It is a place where people who are committed to information sharing, accountability, innovation, and racial, economic, reproductive, and gender justice can go and have earnest dialogue. There are outlets, editors, and journalists who have convinced themselves, under the pretext of journalistic ethics and privilege, that there is only one kind (their kind) of journalism. They believe that journalists look a certain way, behave with haughty decorum, and never color outside the lines. Fuck them. They’re impeding progress in the most egregious way and I’m incredulous of their ability to ethically and effectively communicate with integrity. That is why I joined the board of Rewire. Rewire is, with integrity and ethical soundness, turning journalism on its head. I couldn’t be more proud to be part of its leadership.

Rewire: What are your thoughts on the reproductive health and rights movement?

SM: The future success of the reproductive rights movement lies squarely in the hands of those who can effectively frame and communicate about it. We’re in desperate need of a well-funded overhaul of our communications strategies. That notwithstanding, there are organizations like Rewire that are turning the page on our movement work—who are ditching the ego-driven prototypical style of work for a more collaborative, forward-thinking model. It’s refreshing to see and experience.

Rewire: What else is there to know about you?

SM: I love authentic ramen. A lot. I once made it from scratch and documented it here. I am a twin. She’s my better half for sure. I love cheese. And bourbon.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.