Meshie Knight is the director for the U.S. Racial Justice Initiative at The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. In this role, she leads the initiative’s strategy development and grantmaking.
Throughout her career, Knight has demonstrated deep understanding of the sources and consequences of systemic injustice, coupled with extensive experience supporting organizations tackling some of the most challenging issues in the United States. She has worked directly with marginalized communities to amplify voices and build power, and she has collaborated with philanthropic and public-sector institutions to design programs that drive equitable outcomes.
Before joining the Packard Foundation, Knight served as a senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. There, she managed a strategic grantmaking portfolio, convening leaders across sectors to spur innovation in the healthcare and housing fields. As co-founder of RWJF’s Equity Leadership Group, she championed the integration of equity and belonging into organizational culture, and policies, and launched a national Equity Learning Lab to provide technical assistance, and a community of practice for grantees advancing equity.
Earlier in her career, Knight worked at the Universal Healthcare Foundation of Connecticut—an activist philanthropy focused on quality, equitable and affordable health care that nurtures the well-being of all in Connecticut—and at the Center for Children’s Advocacy, where she gained insights into how privilege shapes access to quality education and successful transitions to adulthood.
Knight holds a Master of Business Administration from the Yale School of Management, a Master of Public Policy from Trinity College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Howard University.