Simone Gordon, widely known as The Black Fairy Godmother, is a nationally recognized community leader, activist, and philanthropist who has dedicated her life to advocating for marginalized women and families in crisis. Her work centers on emergency relief, domestic violence advocacy, and long-term empowerment for women of color and underserved communities.

Featured in People Magazine and other national media, Simone’s journey is deeply personal. As a single mother raising a child with severe autism, she experienced firsthand the systemic barriers that families navigating disability, poverty, and access to essential services often face. After receiving an outpouring of support from strangers via social media, Simone transformed that experience into action—founding The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation to meet urgent needs and restore hope where it’s often been lost.

Today, Simone is expanding her advocacy to include national conversations around disability rights, particularly as potential changes within the U.S. Department of Education threaten vital protections. Through her tireless work, Simone ensures that the voices of those often left behind—especially children with disabilities—are not only heard but prioritized in the policy-making process.

With compassion, resilience, and a relentless drive for justice, Simone Gordon continues to be a powerful force for change, healing, and hope.

We had the amazing opportunity of sitting down with Simone to discuss her mission to help women:

Simone, you’ve been affectionately named The Black Fairy Godmother—can you tell us how that title came to be and what it means to you personally?

The title “The Black Fairy Godmother” was given to me by a mom I helped years ago. She was in crisis facing eviction and struggling to feed her children and after I helped her secure emergency assistance and food, she said, “You’re like a fairy godmother, but you look like me.” That moment stuck with me.

To me, being the Black Fairy Godmother means showing up for people who’ve been forgotten or ignored by the system. It means using whatever resources I can: connections, platforms, community power to make magic happen for women and families in need. But this isn’t fantasy; it’s real life work grounded in advocacy, action, and love. It’s about restoring hope and letting people know they deserve a second chance.

You’ve become a national voice for women and families in crisis. What sparked your journey into activism and philanthropy?

My journey into activism and philanthropy started from a deeply personal place being a mother to a son with autism and experiencing firsthand how broken and unresponsive the system can be for women like me. There were nights I didn’t know how I was going to pay rent, get therapy for my child, or put food on the table.

When I finally found my voice and got the help I needed, I knew I couldn’t just walk away and leave other women behind. I started using social media to amplify their stories, raise emergency funds, and connect them to real resources. What started with a few posts turned into a movement because the need is so great and the stories are too often the same. I realized I had the power to not just survive, but to lead, to advocate, and to create a network of support where none existed. That’s when The BlackFairyGodmother Foundation was born.

You’re a single mother to a child with severe autism: how has your personal journey shaped the work you do today?

 Being a single mother to a child with severe autism has shaped every part of who I am and it’s the foundation of the work I do today. When my son was first diagnosed, I was overwhelmed, and isolated, and had no idea how I was going to navigate the medical system, let alone survive financially. Services were hard to access, support was almost nonexistent, and I constantly felt like I was screaming into a void.
That pain lit a fire in me. I knew if I was struggling this much, so were countless other women especially Black and Brown mothers who are often left out of conversations around disability, healthcare, and support systems. My son gave me purpose. He made me a fighter. Every time I help a mother get therapy for her child, escape an abusive home, or find stability, I see a reflection of my own story. My advocacy isn’t just professional it’s personal. I’m building the kind of network I wish I had when I was in crisis. And that’s why I don’t give up because I know what’s at stake.

So much of your story is rooted in resilience. How did the support of strangers on social media change your life, and how did that inspire the creation of your foundation?

The support of strangers on social media quite literally saved my life. At a time when I felt invisible struggling as a single mom, unemployed, and caring for a child with severe autism I turned to Instagram and Facebook, not expecting anything. I shared my story out of desperation, and to my surprise, people listened. They didn’t just listen they responded. They sent groceries. They helped pay for therapy. They lifted me up when I had nothing left.

That moment showed me the power of community, even online. These strangers didn’t owe me anything, but they chose to see me. That kind of radical empathy inspired me to pay it forward. I started helping other women tell their stories, and slowly, a movement began.

That’s how The BlackFairyGodmother Foundation was born from a place of pain, yes, but also from hope. I knew if people could come together for me, we could come together for so many more. And now we do every day.

Navigating disability rights as a parent can be incredibly challenging. What have been some of the most eye-opening experiences for you in that journey?

One of the most eye-opening experiences has been realizing just how unequal and under-resourced the disability system is—especially for Black families. From the moment my son was diagnosed, I had to fight for everything: evaluations, services, school placements, and even basic respect. I quickly learned that the system wasn’t designed to support usit was designed to delay, deny, and exhaust us.

I’ve had to become not just a mother, but a lawyer, advocate, case manager, and therapist all at once. And I’ve seen how race and income play a huge role in who gets access to timely care and who gets overlooked.
What’s also been eye-opening is how powerful knowledge can be. Once I learned the language of IEPs, Medicaid waivers, and ADA rights, I started teaching other moms because we deserve to know how to advocate for our children without being dismissed or silenced.
This journey has shown me that we need more than just reform we need real equity in how services are delivered. And that’s a fight I’ll never stop showing up for.

Tell us about The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation. What are some of the key services and programs you offer to women and families in crisis?

The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation is a nonprofit organization I founded to provide real, immediate help to women and families in crisis especially those who have been neglected by traditional systems. Our mission is rooted in empowerment, emergency relief, and long-term transformation.

We offer several core programs, including:

• The Emergency Assistance Program, helps families facing eviction, food insecurity, and domestic violence. We provide everything from rent assistance to groceries—sometimes within hours—because when you’re in crisis, you can’t wait for red tape.
• The Fairy Dust Scholarship Fund, supports single mothers returning to school, helping them rebuild their futures through education and career advancement.
• The Domestic Violence Relief Initiative, where we secure safe housing, transportation, and therapy for survivors looking to escape abuse.
• The Adopt-A-Family Program, especially during the holidays, ensures families in need receive gifts, necessities, and joy when they need it most.
• And we recently launched the Purple Diamond Awards Gala, to honor women who have survived and are now thriving celebrating their resilience and raising funds to continue our work. Everything we do is centered around dignity, action, and community. We don’t just offer handouts we offer hope and the tools to rebuild.

How do you find the families and individuals you support, or how do they find you?

In the beginning, it was all word of mouth and social media. Women started reaching out after seeing my posts or hearing that I helped someone in a similar situation. I would get messages from mothers fleeing abuse, grandmothers raising grandchildren, or young women facing eviction with nowhere to turn. They’d say, “I don’t know where else to go, but someone told me you could help.”

You’ve recently turned your advocacy toward potential changes in the Department of Education: what are the most pressing concerns you’re seeing when it comes to disability rights in schools?

One of the most pressing concerns I see is the systemic failure to provide appropriate services and accommodations for children with disabilities especially in underserved communities. Schools are often underfunded, untrained, and unprepared to meet the legal and emotional needs of these students. I’ve seen too many Black and Brown children with autism or learning differences labeled as “behavioral problems” instead of being supported properly. Another issue is the lack of accountability. IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) are either not being followed or aren’t even being created. Parents are left to fight alone, without legal support or knowledge of their rights. That’s unacceptable. I’m advocating for reforms that include mandatory disability rights training for educators, better funding for support staff like paraprofessionals and therapists, and stronger enforcement of federal protections under IDEA. Every child deserves a safe, inclusive learning environment that honors their potential. I’m advocating for reforms that include mandatory disability rights training for educators, better funding for support staff like paraprofessionals and therapists, and stronger enforcement of federal protections under IDEA. Every child deserves a safe, inclusive learning environment that honors their potential. My goal is to make sure no parent has to sit at an IEP meeting and feel powerless—because I’ve been that parent. And I refuse to let silence be the reason another child gets left behind.

If you could sit down with lawmakers right now, what would you tell them on behalf of families like yours?

If I could sit down with lawmakers today, I would look them in the eye and say: Stop ignoring us. Families like mine are not asking for miracles, we’re asking for fairness, dignity, and a fighting chance. We’re doing everything we can to survive in a system that was never built for us, and it’s breaking us. I would tell them to stop making decisions from a distance. Come into our homes. Visit our schools. See what it’s like to raise a child with a disability on a limited income, with no access to timely services or safe housing. Listen to the mothers who’ve been failed by domestic violence shelters, by the healthcare system, by education policies that overlook our kids. We need bold, urgent policy changes funding for special education, protections for survivors, access to mental health care, and basic resources like food and stable housing. These aren’t luxuries. These are human rights.

I’m not just speaking for myself, I’m speaking for thousands of women who are tired, but still fighting. Lawmakers have the power to change lives. I’d tell them: Use it. And do it now.

What’s next for you and The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation? Are there new initiatives or campaigns on the horizon?

What’s next is expansion, with purpose. The needs are growing, and so is our vision. Right now, we’re working on launching The BlackFairyGodmother Resource Hub, a physical space where women can access immediate crisis support, job training, mental health services, and disability advocacy all under one roof. We want to create a one-stop sanctuary for rebuilding lives. We’re also developing a Policy & Advocacy arm of the foundation to push for legislative changes in domestic violence protections, disability rights, and equitable housing. It’s time to take our lived experiences and turn them into lasting change at the system level. On top of that, we’re growing our “Purple Diamond Scholars” program giving more single mothers the chance to return to school, earn degrees, and break generational cycles of poverty. And yes, we’ll keep doing the direct action work we’re known for groceries, rent relief, and emergency services because the crisis doesn’t wait for legislation. Our goal is simple: to build power, restore hope, and keep showing up for the people who need us most.