Keesha Benson

Background

About Keesha Benson

Dr. Keesha Benson is an inclusive and equity-centered community practitioner with over two decades of experience engaging in community-level work with children and families, nonprofit organizations, and community stakeholders. Her work has crossed multiple disciplines including child welfare, public health, philanthropy, business, and education. Her service in both a programmatic and research capacity on numerous community grant projects has led to an in-depth understanding of community engagement at various levels with culturally diverse populations. She is dedicated to cultural humility and ensuring that community work is completed in an inclusive and culturally relevant manner. Dr. Benson received both her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Social Work with a focus in community intervention, and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Business Administration from Florida A&M University. As someone trained in community intervention and community participatory practice, she is passionate about ensuring that stakeholders have access to the needed resources and information that leads to long-standing transformative change. Dr. Benson is committed to revolutionary self-care, savoring, and seeking joy in whatever season you may find yourself. She is known for her capacity to create psychologically safe environments that influence policies, practices, self-reflection, and systems level change. For two decades, she has devoted her efforts to cultivating collective advancement and anti-racists strategies with marginalized populations. She is married to her best friend of 14 years and considers it a privilege to parent three brilliant and joyful children who she credits for much of her self-discovery and refining. As a BIPOC leader, she understands firsthand the importance of implementing intentional mental and physical health practices to complete the needed work in our communities. In her collective practice with others, she holds reverence for Activist Lilla Watson’s words “If you have come here to help me you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”