Ms Chioma Nnaji identifies as a southern womanist with Nigerian roots. She is a community health worker and organizer with more than 20 years in the fields of HIV/AIDS, sexual health, equity, racial justice, and immigrant health. She is constantly seeking innovative ways to bring people together, to think differently about problems and to challenge the status quo. She has served in leadership positions in academic and community institutions and grounds her actions in equity and justice with a particular lens to meaningful engagement of people impacted by intersecting oppressions. As a Senior Program Director at the Multicultural AIDS Coalition (MAC), she developed services for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS; advocated for policy changes; applied cultural competency frameworks to training public health and clinical professionals; and established community engaged research projects that are ‘for, by and with’ the people most impacted by inequities. Ms Nnaji is trained in participatory research methods, including ethnography, photovoice and community-based participatory research.
Because of her experience, Ms Nnaji developed a unique skill in facilitation, training and high impact collaboration. She consults with organizations and communities on ways to incorporate anti-racist approaches and community engaged processes in work addressing health inequities. Her expertise is leading organizational and community processes specifically working with diverse stakeholders on needs assessments, gap analysis, strategic direction and action planning. Ms Nnaji facilitates trainings locally and nationally with diverse audiences in the areas of Racial Equity, Cultural Competency, Stakeholder Engagement, Immigrant Health, Community Partnerships, and Health Equity. With a background in Curriculum Development, her expertise is customizing trainings and other learning sessions according to the client’s specific needs and expected outcomes. Ms Nnaji is trained in several participatory techniques, including Technology of Participation (ToP ®), Mindfulness, Community-based Participatory Research, and Theater of the Oppressed. She has worked with community-based organisations, health care clinical facilities, academia, and government agencies.
Ms Nnaji is #unbought #unbossed #unapologetic in her passion to bring the voice and needs of marginalized communities to the table of health policy, research, and service delivery in a way that utilises community assets and respects cultural values. She also serves on the Board of Community Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) - an organisation that promotes health equity and social justice through partnerships between communities and academia, Akwaaba Health Clinic – a free health clinic in Worcester, MA, and Activated Massachusetts African Community (AMAC) – a state-wide, immigrant-led, grassroots group supporting and advocating for the well-being of the African immigrant community in Massachusetts.
Ms. Nnaji has a Master’s degree in Public Health – International Health from Boston University and a Master’s degree in Education – Curriculum & Instruction from Boston College. She is working towards a PhD in Global Inclusion and Social Development at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is currently ABD at the Boston University, School for Global Inclusion and Social Development and a fellow with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Leaders, Cohort 4 program.
