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Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 24th Legislative District in 2022 and just began her second year of her first term in office. Mayes is the first woman to ever represent the 24th Legislative District and the first out lesbian to ever serve in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Raised in West Philadelphia, Mayes moved to Pittsburgh in 1999 to attend college and has been a dedicated community leader in the region for two decades.

 

Mayes is a nationally recognized leader in the field of reproductive justice, human rights and leadership development for Black women and girls. As the founder and former president and CEO of New Voices for Reproductive Justice for 18 years, Mayes garnered national attention and a statewide reputation as an unwavering advocate for improving the health and well-being of Black women, femmes, girls, and gender-expansive folx. Her visionary leadership has set herself apart as a new brand of elected official that intersects legislation and policy and community organizing to serve the people of Pennsylvania. In her first year, Mayes passed the CROWN Act out of the House and co-founded and is Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Black Maternal Health Caucus.

 

She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor of science in business administration and earned a master of science in public policy and management from the Heinz School of Carnegie Mellon University. La'Tasha completed the Rockwood Leadership Institute Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice Fellowship in 2016, the Executive Program for Social Impact Strategy at the University of Pennsylvania in 2019 and the Higher Heights Senior Leadership Fellowship in 2021.

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La'Tasha has served the Pittsburgh community as an inaugural Allegheny County Human Relations Commission Vice-Chair, Social Action Chair of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. - Pittsburgh Alumnae Chapter and President of the Urban League Young Professionals of Greater Pittsburgh.

 

She has received numerous honors for her work, including the 2023 MomsRising Parent Champion Award, 2023 Gwen's Girls See the Best in Me Award, 2022 She Can Win Building Bridges Award, 2021 KYW Newsradio GameChanger Award, 2017 NAACP East Boroughs Phenomenal Woman Social Justice Award and 2016 Coro Center for Civic Leadership Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Alumni Award.

 

Mayes has been featured by many regional and national media outlets, including ColorLines, Essence Magazine, NBCNews.com, Rewire, Slate Magazine, The Nation and Time.com. Mayes believes in the indefatigable spirit of Black women, she is a devoted partner to Dr. Heather L. Reel and new mom to Baby Charlotte and proud to call Pittsburgh home.

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