K. Shakira Washington
Vice President, Collaborative Research & Innovative Thought, Justice + Joy National Collaborative
K. Shakira Washington’s work is focused on increasing awareness about the impact of violence on individual, family, community, and global health and social outcomes. As Vice President, Collaborative Research & Innovative Thought at Justice + Joy National Collaborative, formerly National Crittenton, Ms. Washington uses participatory action research, advocacy, and research design to bring the voices of those most impacted by violence to the center of efforts focused on social, economic, and systemic change, particularly for girls, young women, and gender-expansive young people exposed to adversity and violence.
“Acts of violence against our most vulnerable are perhaps the oldest and most destructive forms of oppression. Expressed in many forms, violence is often used to justify, explain, and maintain systems of inequality and inequity — including the sexual exploitation of others. The impact of violence is perhaps the most understated and misunderstood influence on the human condition.”