Meshie Knight serves as the U.S. Racial Justice Director at The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. In this role, she leads the U.S. Racial Justice Initiative’s strategy development and grantmaking, managing the allocation of the remaining resources in the $100 million fund established in 2020 to address anti-Black racism in the U.S. Additionally, Knight collaborates with colleagues to advance racial justice within the Foundation’s domestic grantmaking efforts.
Throughout her career, Knight has demonstrated a profound understanding of the sources and consequences of systemic injustice, coupled with extensive knowledge on how to support organizations tackling some of the most challenging issues in the U.S. She brings deep experience in partnering directly with marginalized communities and working with institutions to drive systems-level change, particularly in healthcare and housing.
Before joining the Packard Foundation, Knight was a senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. There, she led a multi-million-dollar strategic grantmaking portfolio, bringing together entrepreneurs, academics, and community leaders to create solutions that spur measurable, lasting change within the U.S. healthcare system and housing sector. She also launched a national Equity Learning Lab, providing technical assistance, coaching, and a community of practice to support organizational change and integrate equity.
Earlier in her career, Knight worked at the Universal Healthcare Foundation of Connecticut, an activist philanthropy focused on the stories and experiences of those most impacted by systemic injustices. She also gained valuable insights at the Center for Children’s Advocacy, where she learned how advantage and privilege shape opportunities for quality education and successful transitions to adulthood.
Knight holds master’s degrees in business administration from the Yale School of Management and in public policy from Trinity College, along with a bachelor’s degree in communications from Howard University.