School of Public Health alum Fatima Dainkeh (SPH’18) is the diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and training manager at She+ Geeks Out, a nationwide, certified B corporation that aims to abolish inequity in the workplace. In her role, Dainkeh supports individuals, teams, and organizations in creating and maintaining diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces through facilitating, coaching, and consulting.

During her time at SPH, Dainkeh produced the short film, Stories of Black Motherhood, which called attention to the experiences of Black mothers, especially during a time when the disproportionate burden of Black maternal mortality began receiving immense attention. In the film, Black mothers from Boston shared intimate and powerful accounts of how structural inequities impact their ability to parent.

Dainkeh sat down to discuss what brought her to public health, how advocacy and activism have shown up throughout her career, and how her time at SPH prepared for the work she is doing now.

What brought you to public health and the work you are doing today?

Honestly, I didn’t know all of what public health entailed. As an undergraduate student, I started with the intent to be a biology major with a pre-med track, but after my first year, I realized that medical school wasn’t my dream. It was my parents’ dream by way of societal pressures and expectations. While I love(d) my family, the medical field and approach weren’t for me. I was more interested in how our socio-cultural and political climate impacted our overall well-being on the personal and collective levels. Since social justice issues were always core topics in my personal and academic journey, I wanted to deeply understand how systems of oppression impacted individuals and communities AND discover new (or old) ways of being that could positively impact our overall health and, ultimately, the quality of our lives. This is how I found my way to public health and DEI work. Public health was vast and holistic enough for me and doing DEI in the workplace felt impactful to me.

I read somewhere that the average person spends roughly about 90,000 hours of their life working, which has been translated to one-third of most of our lives. And if we’re not working, we’re interacting with establishments and institutions where someone else works. So, if we’re going to work that much and/or interact with workplaces (and people or systems within workplaces), we have to talk about the places we’re working in and the kind of environment we’re creating for employees, customers, and clients. I love that I have a public health background because it strengthens my approach to understanding and supporting organizational change. I get to create content, consult, coach, and facilitate challenging yet important conversations while supporting leaders and individual contributors in figuring out how to improve their workplaces and, ultimately, employee and customer experience.

Can you talk about the inherent link between public health and activism, and how this shows up in your own work?

I think there is an element of proactiveness in public health and activism. As a child, my aunt often said, “prevention is better than cure,” and I remember getting chills the first time I heard a professor from SPH say that in class. The phrase might sound simple, but it’s incredibly powerful. From my point of view, the core of public health and activism is the belief that humans deserve the right to live fruitful lives whenever possible. This requires a preventive approach! Yes, we sometimes have to be reactive and address issues head-on as they arrive, but a preventive approach allows us to create sustainable solutions.

This is the same approach I use in my work. When organizations and companies want to address bias and discrimination in the workplace or begin a DEI initiative or strategic plan, I’m often curious if their desire comes from a reactive or proactive position. This is important because if we’re always reacting to various problems, we might not have the necessary systems and structures in place. If we have systems and structures in place, we must consistently ask: What’s working? What’s not working? Where is there room for improvement?

What does being an activist mean to you?

Being an activist means being aware, active, and in alignment with your own values. It’s consistent, it’s practice, and it’s work. It is about progress, not perfection. It’s about how much (and how well) we can do in our time on this earth. The good (and bad) thing is that there are many issues to pick from. Pick one, two, three, or ten, and be committed to showing up.

I also believe that as much as we can be committed to breaking down and dismantling oppressive systems, we have to also be committed to elevating and celebrating wins. While there are many issues in our world, there are also beautiful solutions and medicine (as many healers and wisdom seekers call it) surrounding us. Celebration and joy are also a form of activism, especially for bodies and identities that have been historically marginalized and oppressed.

What advice do you have for future public health leaders?

Public health is everywhere. Public health is everything. Don’t be afraid to use a public health approach or framework wherever you are. Also, consider leveraging your privilege and power in your personal and professional roles. Find community, and remember that you don’t have to do it alone (but also know that you can also do so much on your own).

What did you enjoy most about your time at SPH?

The possibilities! I moved to Boston with an open heart and mind and truly experienced something so magical and moving, both personally and professionally. SPH was a place where I was pushed and a place where I could push as well. I loved that I could speak my truth and either create space or find the space I needed to fully practice who I needed to be at that time in higher education. I also enjoyed the community and friendships that were formed. I still have connections and loving support from the people I worked with and learned from, which is priceless.

How did your time at SPH prepare you to do the work that you are doing now?

Three frameworks consistently guide me in my career because of my learning exposure and journey at SPH: The Gardener’s Tale by Dr. Camara Jones, the upstream/downstream intervention framework, and the social-ecological model.

Beyond these concepts, SPH felt like an art studio to me. I had access to the space and various artistic tools I needed to create amazing “artwork.” Of course, the knowledge was important, but I think the practice of fully trusting and believing in myself made the “artwork” beautiful. I accomplished many things during my few years at SPH, and the process was just as glorious as the outcome, if not more.