Dr. Kimberly Allen became the inaugural CEO of 904WARD in 2021 after volunteering for two years and serving as the board chair of the all-volunteer organization for two and a half years. 904WARD is a Jacksonville nonprofit committed to helping end racism so that everyone thrives. Its mission is to create racial healing and equity through deep conversations and learning, trusting relationships, and collective action.
“typically folks want to hurry up and get to the action where we’re talking about things like racial equity and social justice. But there is a lot of work on the front end that needs to happen.”
In the Mix
Charlee Guillaume, a multimedia designer with Mix Theory Studios, interviewed four CEOs in Jacksonville, Florida, who are making a difference in the community. Join us as we discover the non-profit organizations impacting the lives around us for the better. This interview is part of the Nonprofit CEO Segment of In the Mix. Video produced by Charlee Guillaume.
Dr. Kimberly Allen has served as 904ward CEO since 2021.
The 904ward has engaged thousands of Jacksonville community members, created and sold over 2,000 decks of the Race Cards as a tool to invite meaningful dialogue, partnered with the Equal Justice Initiative to create the Jacksonville Community Remembrance Project to memorialize victims of terror lynching, created a traveling mixed-medium art exhibit, raised nearly than $2M philanthropic dollars and fostered countless partnerships all in the name of ending racism so that everyone thrives. Her hope is to work the organization out of business so that her children, grandchildren and future generations can actually see the beauty in our community rather than just its potential.
“I GET TO DO THE WORK OF TRYING TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE AND MAKING SURE THAT IT’S A PLACE THAT I WANT MY CHILDREN TO INHERIT. I WANT ALL CHILDREN IN THIS CITY TO FEEL A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, TO LOVE THIS PLACE, AND TO WANNA RAISE THEIR FAMILIES HERE.”
Protest outside of Jacksonville’s City Hall during the city’s Bicentennial celebration in 2022.904ward brings together citizens to discuss racial issues and healing in the city of Jacksonville.Dr. Allen with guest speakers.904ward T-shirt
Dr. Allen is from Jacksonville, Florida along with her husband and three children. She attended Florida State University where she earned a Ph.D. in Human Sciences—Family Relations. She was the professor of several courses focused on stress and resilience, families in crisis, and adolescent and human development. Dr. Allen also worked at the University of Georgia’s Center for Family Research where she examined the romantic relationship patterns of rural, African American men.
“When I look at my own family that I created, and how I take care of them, I really strive as the leader of our organization to take care of people in the same way that I would take care of my family.”
Dr. Allen served as a Research Assistant and Director of Data and Research for the Jacksonville Public Education Fund where she assisted and lead data collection efforts alongside the Duval County Public Schools, the City of Jacksonville, and private foundations. It was through these opportunities that Dr. Allen identified a need to understand data and the stories they tell, and she created People Driven Data Consulting, LLC. Through her consulting business, Dr. Allen is driven to make people fall in love with data and use it to make key decisions with, for, and about the people served. She continued her journey in data and evaluation at GuideWell via the Florida Blue Foundation where she created and led the Data Analytics Taskforce that would help streamline data relevant to the new Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.
Dr. Allen actively served her community through numerous volunteer efforts such as the Urban Education Symposium, Pace Center for Girls, The Community Advisory Council at Community First Credit Union, the School Advisory Council at West Riverside Elementary School, her local church, The First Baptist Church of Oakland and 904WARD (nine-oh-forward).
To find out more about Dr. Allen and the 904ward, visit 904ward.org.
