Charmaine Mercer
What is your industry or area of expertise?
At present my industry is philanthropy, but I would say my expertise is evolving. There was a time when I would have said my expertise is in education, but in the last two years, I’ve combined the root of my vocation, which is learning, and used that in a different context in a way that is helping philanthropy change.
Why do you believe in the mission of BlackFemaleProject?
I believe because I know. I have so much evidence that when Black women are in community and we are affirmed and uplifted, we are amazing. Everything we do and everything around us is better when all of these things are true. Black women, we think about who’s there and who’s not there, and what’s needed. You shift things when you allow Black women’s voices into spaces to make change.
What brought you to BlackFemaleProject?
My top answer would be Precious—and the opportunity to be a small part of helping her bring this vision forward. I’ve been there from the early days, and it’s been a gift to be able to walk next to her as this continues to unfold.
I remember when we were doing focus groups before it became this whole thing with a website and podcasts and events. We were sharing stories, and we were just moved to tears. It was about supporting Precious’s vision. And what she needed from me is what I came to do.
How has BlackFemaleProject impacted you personally?
I was 49 years old when I finally met a Black woman who could truly hold me and all of my complexity and uplift me. And I’m strong, but it’s just a rare space. So it’s the opportunity to create a space where lots of other Black women can experience that. I’m so grateful.
What motivated you to become an advisor to BlackFemaleProject?
It was an evolution. There was a period of time when I was trying to help the project develop strategy, and then I pulled back from it. And then at the start of COVID, Precious and I would go on walks, and it would be a space for anything we wanted to talk about. Our conversations have become much more about helping bring things into view for her. I’ve always looked at it as another way of supporting Precious.
What BlackFemaleProject content or offering have you found most resonant?
I engage with the things that come across Black FemaleProject’s Linkedin page. A lot of Teacher Truth comes through that space. The member spotlights and the podcasts come through that space, too, so those are the things I usually engage with.
Bio:
Charmaine is the Chief of Equity and Culture at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. She serves as an internal resource on racial equity in the foundation’s grantmaking, and helps champion and share diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within the foundation. She also oversees external grantmaking related to racial equity, including a new 10-year, $150 million racial justice initiative.
Previously, Charmaine was a program officer in the Hewlett Foundation’s Education Program, where she helped refresh and implement a K-12 teaching and learning grantmaking strategy that centers equity.
Prior to joining the foundation, Charmaine held senior-level positions with the Learning Policy Institute and the Alliance for Excellent Education, grantees in the prior Education team’s Deeper Learning strategy. In both roles, she supported a team of dedicated researchers, policy advocates, and communication specialists. Charmaine also held various positions on Capitol Hill, including as a senior staffer for the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, a senior staffer for the Education and Labor Committee, and a researcher for the Congressional Research Service. She is on the board of the Grantmakers for Education, serves as an advisory board member of the Black Female Project, and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.
Charmaine received her Ph.D. in politics and education policy from Claremont Graduate University, as well as her master’s degree in political science. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from San Diego State University. Charmaine is married and is the shamelessly proud mom of adorable twin boys.
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