Courtney E. Martin

Courtney E. Martin (born December 31, 1979) In 2013 she helped found the Solutions Journalism Network with journalists David Bornstein and Tina Rosenberg.

Background Courtney Martin is from Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she and her brother were raised by her parents. Her parents both strongly believed in women and men having equal contributions. Her mother created the longest running women's film festival in the world while Martin was a teenager. Martin attended William J. Palmer High School in Colorado, and went on to attend Barnard College in New York City.

As detailed during a public forum with Deborah Siegel, Martin asserts that older generations often view third-wavers as entitled, but she states they were raised to believe they deserved certain rights and to fight for them. She also points out that third-wavers have grown up in a world filled with many issues, leading her to state that her generation is overwhelmed. In a TEDtalk in 2011, Martin brings up the issues of wealth disparity, xenophobia, environmental crisis, and sex trafficking and states “it’s enough to make you feel very overwhelmed.” She calls for workplace-provided childcare, legislature to "craft policies that support individuals and families," maternity and paternity leave, and more workplace flexibility. In an article for skirt.com in 2008, Martin wrote "how can we claim to be economic providers and role models for our daughters and sons if we aren't also improving the work place climate they will inherit?" The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful, and (HIV) Positive, by Marvelyn Brown with Courtney Martin, HarperCollins, 2008. The story of how a normal 19-year-old girl contracted HIV, that set her in a fight for her life, and in a situation that estranged her from her community. Despite her circumstances, she remains positive and shares her story in hopes of preventing others from going through her pain. Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists, Edited by J. Courtney Sullivan and Courtney E. Martin, Seal Press, 2010. Sullivan and Martin follow the stories of a number of influential women and the moments in their lives that led them to becoming feminists. Through these women's stories, the authors describe what makes a feminist, and how the role of a feminist changes with the times. Do It Anyways: The New Generation of Activists, Courtney E. Martin, Beacon Press 2010. Do It Anyways fights the claims that the younger generation is apathetic by telling the stories of eight activists who, despite being ordinary people, are making a difference in the world. Project Rebirth: Survival and the Strength of the Human Spirit from 9/11 Survivors, by Dr. Robert Stern and Courtney E. Martin, Dutton/Penguin Press, 2011. A psychologist and a journalist examine how eight survivors from the 9/11 attacks learn to cope with grief and find peace despite their circumstances. The New Better Off: Reinventing the American Dream, Courtney E. Martin, Seal Press, 2016. Martin examines the current, collective understanding of "The American Dream" and its flaws. She then highlights alternative approaches to gender roles, housing, work, and other parts of life that people find highly fulfilling. Learning in Public: Lessons for a Racially Divided America from My Daughter's School, Courtney E. Martin, Little, Brown and Company, 2021. After navigating the world of school choice and selecting a majority-Black, poorly-rated neighborhood public school for her daughter to attend, Martin investigates the disconnect between the values many white families express and the racially homogenous, selective schools they choose for their own children to attend.

Online contributions Martin spreads her views on feminism and family friendly workplaces through the medium of the internet. She contributed as a co-editor to Feministing.com, the largest feminist blog from 2004 until recently. Martin is now a weekly columnist for On Being. Her work can also be found on sites such as YES! Magazine, The New York Times, and TED talks. Martin has been a co-founder to numerous online organizations, including Valenti Martin Media and #femfuture, which aim to break the boundaries of traditional views towards women. Martin is also a Senior Correspondent for The American Prospect. She has penned a number of articles on the site, including: “The Problem with Youth Activism”, and “Why Class Matters in Campus Activism”. In these two articles, Martin discusses the way America's youth has lost the outrage and civil disobedience of previous generations in favor of school sanctioned demonstrations, and how the American youth today do not display the robust activism that United Kingdom students have recently displayed regarding school tuition budget cuts.