Profile

Lashaunda Watson, a devoted mother of four, born and raised in Boston, represents the heart and soul of community dedication. Her life journey, marked by personal struggles and victories over poverty, has fueled her passion to inspire others facing similar challenges. Lashaunda's commitment to eliminating the difficulties she once survived has become a driving force in her life's work, transforming her aspirations into concrete actions that benefit her community. 

Currently, Lashaunda's impact extends through her active role on the boards of various organizations. She serves on the board of NeighborWorks Housing Solutions, an MACDC member organization focused on providing access to affordable housing. Her involvement doesn't stop there; Lashaunda is also a part of Higher Ground Boston, an organization dedicated to promoting educational equity for low-income children in the Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan communities. Higher Ground Boston is committed to helping homeless students. 

In addition to her board memberships, Lashaunda recently celebrated a significant milestone as the co-founder of an empowering organization known as Sis it’s Safe (SIS), which marked its first anniversary. The organization's slogan, "We say bad words," encapsulates its ethos of providing a space for candid self-expression, "It's just been my life's purpose providing a safe space for black and brown women to express themselves and one of our slogans is we say bad words, but it's about just having a space where you can be authentic. Saying bad words is just a symbol to our members that there's freedom to be yourself. Sometimes life is messy, and that’s ok! We don’t expect perfection. Come as you are! You are safe to fall apart, but while in this space we will help put you back together again. At SIS you can fill up your own cup so that when you return to the various roles you take on, you are a better person. You come back as a better partner, you come back as a better mom, member of the community because your needs are met" she said. 

Lashaunda's journey with the Mel King Institute started at the end of 2021. Her connection with MKI came through her involvement with Union Capital Boston, a collaborative partner organization. It was the founder of Union Capital who recognized her potential and suggested that she would be an excellent addition to MKI. Despite initial reservations, she knew that her lived experiences, mirroring those of the residents MKI aims to support, equipped her with a unique perspective and empathy to excel in her role.  " I could resonate with ...what the residents were going through and just understanding that the fights that I have had living in low-income housing, and being a survivor of poverty and just not understanding what my rights were, and not always feeling like my voice was heard and having to even advocate for myself at times to keep my housing or to have a better quality living," she commented. 

As a Resident Leadership Academy (RLA) instructor, she is conducting numerous leadership training sessions. At the moment, she is in discussions to develop customized training for other CDCs, including Asian CDC in Chinatown, as her reputation for effective and impactful instruction spreads. Each training session led by her is uniquely tailored to address the specific issues and needs of the neighborhood in focus. When asked about the different needs of the communities, she explained, in the case of Fenway CDC for example, "When you hear Fenway, you think of the ballpark, you think, you know, affluence, and you think abundance, but yet there is this pocket of poverty, right in those affluent areas where they are dealing with the same things as lower-income neighborhoods like Roxbury and Dorchester are dealing with." 

Lashaunda's approach to facilitating is rooted in authenticity and vulnerability. She believes in the power of personal truth, setting an example by sharing her own experiences to foster trust and encourage open conversation. Her dedication to evolving, adjusting, and personalizing each training ensures that every session she conducts is not just instructive but also resonates with the unique spirit of each community she serves.