Simmons, Gwendolyn Zoharah, 1944-

Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, formerly Gwendolyn Robinson, is an assistant professor of religion at the University of Florida,[1][2][3] where she researches Islamic feminism and the impact of Sharia law on Muslim women.[4] She is a civil rights activist, serving as a member of both the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Nation of Islam (NOI).[5] Simmons has received a number of prestigious fellowships, including a Fulbright Fellowship, USAID Fellowships, and an American Center of Oriental Research Fellowship.[6][7] Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons was born in Memphis, Tennessee, Simmons enrolled at Spelman College in 1962 In 1989, Simmons completed her B.A. at Antioch University, where she studied Human Services. She went on to study at Temple University, receiving an M.A. and a Ph.D. in religion with a focus on Islam, and a Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies. She wrote her dissertation on "The Contemporary Impact of Shari'ah Law on Women's Lives in Jordan and Palestine."[6] Simmons began volunteering at the nearby Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) headquarters Engaged by Freedom Summer materials and encouraged by fellow students, Staughton Lynd, and Vincent Harding, Simmons decided to spend the summer of 1964 volunteering with the Mississippi Freedom project. Spelman administrators informed Simmons' family of this decision, who feared for Simmons' safety in working in an area known for Ku Klux Klan violence