Rashied-Henry
State News

Kweli Rashied-Henry To Serve As Durham County’s First Racial Equity Officer

@SpectacularMag
Rashied-Henry
Rashied-Henry

Durham, NC – Durham County Government has announced Kweli Rashied-Henry as its first-ever racial equity officer. Rashied-Henry will lead and coordinate efforts to integrate equity principles into operations, projects, and services of county government. She begins on Monday, May 4, 2020.

The establishment of this new position is the latest of several actions Durham County Government has taken over the last few years to build capacity for shared understanding that deeply racialized systems are costly and depress outcomes and life chances for all groups.

In announcing the hire, General Manager of Public Health and Community Well-Being Joanne Pierce noted, “It is exciting to see this position realized, and with Rashied-Henry’s collaborative leadership, staff, partners, and community champions pushing us forward, we are poised to do important work that will transform our system with the goal of improving outcomes for everyone.”

Rashied-Henry brings more than 20 years of experience focused on serving communities, developing, and implementing equity solutions. Most recently, she served as the director of Health Equity for March of Dimes, a leading non-profit organization committed to improving the health outcomes of all moms and babies. Previously Rashied-Henry served as policy analyst for the Brooklyn Health Disparities Center, director of a state-wide infant mortality reduction initiative in New Jersey, and deputy director for the Alzheimer’s and Caregiver Resource Center at the New York City Department for the Aging. She has worked with several communities, government, academic, and healthcare organizations. Rashied-Henry is both humbled to serve in her new role and eager to join Durham County Government as its inaugural racial equity officer.

Rashied-Henry holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Bennett College, a Master of Public Health from Emory University, and is a candidate for the Doctor of Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago.