Minor in African and African American Studies

Rashid Kwame Shabazz

Rashid Shabazz, BA English '98, African and African American Studies Minor, is a visionary philanthropic and cultural leader, communications strategist, and advocate. He is executive director of Critical Minded, a grantmaking and advocacy initiative founded by the Ford Foundation and Nathan Cummings Foundation to invest in critics of color and strengthen the field of cultural criticism in the United States.

In addition to his work in arts and culture, Shabazz is known for leading initiatives that combat racial, gender, and economic injustice, advance education reform, and reimagine the American criminal justice system. Previously, he was the chief marketing and storytelling officer for Color of Change, where he led the organization’s charge to advance racial justice in the mainstream media landscape. Shabazz also worked as a program officer for the Open Society Foundations.

Shabazz is a member of Blackout for Human Rights, the arts and social justice collective founded by Ryan Coogler and Ava DuVernay, and is on the boards of Firelight Media and the Pillars Fund. He received his bachelor’s degree in English from George Mason University and holds master’s degrees in African Studies from Yale University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter.