About Shakira
Over the past twenty years, Shakira’s work has combined community organizing, programming, and research to address social, economic, and political inequities faced by marginalized communities. Her work has included training residents to implement community-based needs assessments; facilitating discussions between community organizing entities and local officials; and assisting with the design and implementation of behavioral health research studies such as a NYU study on Black women and breast cancer screening; a Georgetown University study on perceived benefits of Phase I cancer clinical trial participation among terminally ill cancer patients; a CDC study on the facilitators and barriers to HIV/AIDS clinical trial participation among Black communities; and an exploratory study on the intersection of gendered violence and HIV/AIDS in the District of Columbia. She has co-authored several articles and has presented at conferences such as the CDC Annual HIV/AIDS Prevention Conference, the Annual AIDS Vaccine Conference, and the Annual American Public Health Association Conference.
Shakira received her BA from San Francisco State University, Urban Studies Program, her MPA from New York University: Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Services, and is currently a doctoral candidate at University of Maryland, College Park, School of Public Health.
The National Crittenton Foundation (TNCF)
The National Crittenton Foundation advances the self-empowerment, health, economic security and civic engagement of girls and young women impacted by violence, childhood adversity, and trauma. TNCF and its twenty-six Crittenton family of agencies provide services and advocacy for over 130,000 girls and young women annually, in more than 31 states and the District of Columbia. Our belief is that with the right opportunities and support girls and young women survivors can heal, break destructive cycles, and transform their lives. TNCF’s goals are to ensure that every girl and young woman survivor of childhood adversity, violence and trauma can believe in her ability to succeed and thrive; achieve long-term health and economic security; and empower herself and become a force for change.
