Celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the ongoing work of justice and equality in America by joining us for an MLK Day discussion. We welcome Shirley Ginwright, a community leader whose roles include being Chair of Communities of Trust and former President of the Fairfax County NAACP. Ginwright will share her experiences and discuss her philosophy of inclusion and outreach for community engagement. Register below to receive the Zoom link.

About Shirley Ginwright

Shirley Ginwright is the CEO of Ginwright Consulting, LLC, a minority, woman-owned corporation specializing in building sustainable, trusting relationships between local communities and their police forces. In this capacity, she consults with police departments to identify issues that could negatively impact the communities they serve, and provides training to help identify and understand racial bias. She also assists with implementation of recommendations from President Obama’s Task Force for 21st Century Policing and the 2020 George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

In 2014, wanting to be proactive following the incidents in Ferguson, Missouri, Ginwright established the Communities of Trust Committee, with the Fairfax County Chief of Police, Sheriff, Fire Chief, and Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, to build and enhance positive relationships between public safety agencies and the communities they serve. Communities of Trust has over 60 members, including community members and leaders, public safety agencies and departments, faith groups, and businesses and organizations. She has chaired the committee since its inception.

In January 2018, she became a substitute teacher to help her understand the “school-to-prison pipeline” and other educational inequities and how to help eradicate the problem. She has over 30 years experience in building or reconstructing sound processes for business’ and community engagement. She has an extensive background in creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Ginwright served two terms as President of the Fairfax County NAACP; member of the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) Chief of Police Diversity Counsel for Recruitment; former Commissioner on the Ad Hoc Commission for the Review of Police Policies and Procedures where she chaired the Sub-Committee for Recruitment, Diversity, Vetting and Retention; member of the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Advisory Board; Chair of the Fairfax County Communities of Trust Committee; former Chair of the Virginia State Conference NAACP Criminal Justice Committee; and served on the Board of Directors for the Virginia National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Under Virginia Governor McAulliff, she served on the Commonwealth Commission for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In January 2020, she was appointed by Governor Northam to serve on the Commonwealth’s African American Advisory Board. She is also a member of the Fairfax County Chairman’s Task Force on Equity.

Ginwright meets with national, state, and local officials to initiate support for criminal justice reform, and has created a model to help build community trust and sustainable relationships that can be implemented throughout the country. She has received numerous awards for her community engagement and advocacy, including the Martha Pinnino Community Service Award, Citizen of the Year Certificate of Merit, Lady Fairfax, FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, and Faithful Servant Community Leadership Award.