Derrick Terrell Simmons (born December 12, 1976) is an American politician and trial lawyer serving as a Democratic member of the Mississippi Senate for the 12th district since 2011.
[1][2] He received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Jackson State University in 2000 on a full scholarship; he finished first in his class.
[3] Later, Simmons established a law firm in Greenville, Mississippi with his twin brother, Errick in 2008.
[2] Simmons served on the Greenville Public School District Board of Trustees from 2009 to 2011 and has taught as an adjunct professor since 2007 at Mississippi Valley State University in courses on business law, personal finance, and marketing.
[3] In January 2022, Simmons led the walking out of all 14 black Mississippi senators, during a vote to ban the critical race theory from being taught in the state's public schools, colleges, and universities.