Anti-Racist Initiatives
Hope Denese Freeman
Equity And Justice Specialist | Youth Worker
Somerville,MA
Summary
Seasoned higher education professional offering 6 years of experience in educational leadership positions and 15 years in public health and community advocacy. Adept at identifying equity and justice need through an anti-racist lens; a problem-solver and analytical leader with strong attention to detail and sound judgment focused on continuous improvement of teams and systems.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
7
7
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Senior Director, LGBT and Women's Center
Tufts University
Medford, MA
01.2017 - Current
- Responsible for providing strategic direction regarding LGBTQ and women’s population at the university
- Prioritized and allocated monetary resources to meet center targets
- Instituted formal operating procedures and enforced adherence to policies and best practices that impact the centers' daily functions
- Spearheaded successful center initiatives aligned with the core values of the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion
- Works in collaboration with the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion to set and implement the overall university vision of gender, equity, and justice in practice
- Set strategic plans and fiscal goals to strengthen centers' operations and strengthen resources.
- Fosters work culture of collaboration and inclusion to increase morale and reduce turnover.
- Serves as a university wide resource on issues of gender, sexuality, identity, race, and social justice through university-supported opportunities for professional development
- Provides direct supervision and goal setting to the Associate Directors of both the Women’s and LGBT Center who oversee a staff of 18 undergraduate and 2 graduate students
- Sets the standard of student development through creation, co-development, sponsoring, facilitation of programming, education, and leadership training
- Leads the university and its offices in establishing and maintaining best practices to better support historically excluded sexual and gender minority students with a focus on students of color
- Supports faculty and staff members to create programs, trainings, and best practices to better support students with complex needs
- Serves on anti-racism committee workstreams offering recommendations that best support the university
Interim Director, Women's Center
Tufts University
Medford, MA
01.2018 - 01.2021
- Manage daily operations at the center in consultation with and by delegating to Associate Director and Interns
- Identify and assess current ways in which Women’s Center is educating community regarding issues related to gender, justice, equity, and systems of oppression; introduce new educational efforts as time permits and in consultation with the Associate Dean of Student Diversity, Inclusion, and Success
- Work in collaboration with the Center for Awareness, Resources, and Education and other offices to assess how gender-based violence education is being implemented on campus and introduce changes as necessary
- Gauge current progress in facilitating collaborations with academic and non-academic departments currently, and consider new opportunities
- Explore opportunities to offer workshops in consultation with other center directors focusing on gender, feminism, social justice, and identity
Director, LGBT Center
Tufts University
Medford, MA
01.2017 - 01.2021
- Responsible for the day-to-day management, administration, and leadership of the LGBT Center
- Serves to support and educate the community on emerging issues of gender (identity and expression) and sexual identity and their intersections with other aspects of identity such as race, religion, and citizenship
- Works collaboratively with the Office of Equal Opportunity to create methods of accountability against bias surrounding sexual and gender minorities across Tufts campuses
- Serves as a Title IX liaison between community members and the Office of Equal Opportunity for reports of bias
- Provided technical assistance to the Director the Tufts European Center in Talloires, France as a Student Affairs representative
Consultant
Boston Plan For Excellence– Dudley Promise Corps
Boston, MA
01.2021 - Current
- Built and tailored a racial awareness curriculum for a group of AmeriCorps educators
- Alternated training methods to diversify instruction, strengthen learning opportunities and enhance program success
- Evaluated success of training programs and recommended improvements to upper management to enhance effectiveness
- Reviewed and edited all training materials for accuracy and company policy compliance
- Organized and edited training manuals, multimedia visual aids and other educational materials
Consultant and Grant Reviewer
Mass Mentoring Partnership
Boston, MA
01.2016 - Current
- Review "requests for proposals” for mentoring matching grants for various non-profits across Massachusetts, Prepared a presentation for 20 Ameri-Corp members centering Racial Justice and Equity
- Aided assigned grant contacts through technical assistance, research and other support services
- Reviewed new and amended grant applications
- Developed individualized training plans to achieve staff readiness
- Implemented diverse instructional methods, optimizing trainee engagement
Consultant
GLSEN, Inc.
Boston, MA
01.2016 - 01.2019
- Deliver technical assistance to teachers and staff concerning LGBTQ issues within elementary and secondary school settings
- Applied various teaching aids to minimize learning gaps and instruct and motivate educators in K-12 classrooms on LGBTQ issues
- Developed and clearly presented training guidelines and objectives surrounding national and global issues regarding LGBTQ communities
- Assessed the overall direction and LGBTQ support strategy of teachers' groups within schools
- Provide community support, local, and national resources
Volunteer
Trans Resistance Massachusetts
Boston, MA
01.2020 - Current
- Supports the Interim TRM Director with note taking and the collaboration of
- Pride4thePeople, the Boston Dyke March, and Trans Resistance MA
- Organized the successful fundraising sales of TRM shirt at the 2021 Trans Resistance March
- Actively participates in the LGBTQ+ Community meetings by visioning and restructuring Boston Pride Inc
- Head of the Nominations Working Group for the LGBTQ+ Community meetings
Education
Certificate, Diversity and Inclusion -
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 01.2019 - 05.2019
Master of Science - Nonprofit Management
Simmons College
Boston 09.2014 - 05.2017
Bachelor of Arts - Africana Studies
Smith College
Northampton, MA 08.2001 - 05.2005
Skills
Training and Consulting
Partnership Building
Workshop Design and Implementation
Crisis Management and Communication
Public Speaking
Interests
Policy & Procedures
Culture Shifting
Problem Solving
Curriculum Development
Work Oversight
Youth Development
Technical Assistance
Community Care and Mutual Aid
Timeline
Consultant
Boston Plan For Excellence– Dudley Promise Corps
01.2021 - Current
Volunteer
Trans Resistance Massachusetts
01.2020 - Current
Certificate, Diversity and Inclusion -
Cornell University
01.2019 - 05.2019
Interim Director, Women's Center
Tufts University
01.2018 - 01.2021
Senior Director, LGBT and Women's Center
Tufts University
01.2017 - Current
Director, LGBT Center
Tufts University
01.2017 - 01.2021
Consultant and Grant Reviewer
Mass Mentoring Partnership
01.2016 - Current
Consultant
GLSEN, Inc.
01.2016 - 01.2019
Master of Science - Nonprofit Management
Simmons College
09.2014 - 05.2017
Bachelor of Arts - Africana Studies
Smith College
08.2001 - 05.2005