Planting Seeds of Empathy in Greensboro

Sitting with her hands in the cool soil in front of her, Washington takes a minute to do what she likes to refer to as "touching dirt." It's both a literal and metaphorical concept where - among her peppers, broccoli, and myriad greens - she takes time to herself to shutout a noisy world that oftentimes feels overwhelming.

It's also a place where she can practice radical empathy.

"I try to be a good steward, so we don't use sprays and stuff, and I've learned how to make peace with things that I'd normally want to kill - things that would normally scare me, like spiders," Washington said with a laugh. "You go, 'Oh thank you spider, let me see what kind of spider you are,' and then you discover that it's beneficial and it eats the things that eat my peppers."

The lesson here is that through empathy, we can learn to coexist - with people, and with nature itself.

HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL

As the outreach and education coordinator for the City of Greensboro's Human Rights Department, Washington is responsible for the external aspect of the department - overseeing outreach programs that extend into local schools from Dudley High to North Carolina A&T State University, as well as fair-housing programming (among others). She also oversees internal training for City employees.

In her role, Washington is constantly moving out-and-about in the community, which means no one day is the same as the other - something that she enjoys quite a bit.

"I love being out in the community and meeting with people," Washington said. "It's a lot of connection building and I do get to do a lot of curriculum and program planning, which is one of my favorite things to do. I spend a lot of time in conversation with people and talking with residents… so I get to build relationships with them that way."

Washington's dedication to human rights and public connection surprises no one who knows her and her family.

Though she was technically born in Los Angeles County in California, Washington's family moved to North Carolina when she was just six months old when her father - an engineer by trade - took a job in Greensboro. Her parents were role models for her and her three siblings, with her mother having been a school counselor and Girl Scout leader, while her dad was always centered on helping people - he currently builds affordable housing. Washington herself was a Girl Scout and has served in a variety of roles to this day with the organization - including volunteering her time as a summer camp counselor.

"I tell people I have been saying the Girl Scout Promise since I was six," Washington said. "I believe that you are fair, that you are honest, that you are courageous, and that you treat people like your brother or sister. I believe in that foundation, and it has guided most of my life and because of that, I didn't know anything else - it was built into me."

This early understanding on the importance of inclusion and fighting for human rights meant that Washington never really questioned where she was heading in life; it was just a matter of where.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN GREENSBORO

As an adult Washington left her role as a camp professional before moving into the field of education in 2015, where she worked at a few charter schools before taking a position as a special support assistant at Western Guilford High School - there she assisted in classrooms that had 10 or more students who received special services through EC.

Then, in 2023, Washington's dream job opened up with the City - one that would let her practice everything she had learned throughout her life and in Girl Scouts, she said.

"In my job you learn the value of working hard just for the sake of working hard; it's not about the recognition… it's about who you're working with to get the job done," Washington said. "And I think that is important when we look at protecting human rights. It is the idea that I have to do the work, for the sake of doing the work, and it can't be about what I value or it can't be solely from my experience - I have to include other people, I have to account for people who cannot speak up for themselves."

In addition to her work with the outreach programs she oversees, Washington wears multiple hats serving as the department's point person for communications. She also provides support for Thrive GSO - the department's reentry initiative - and coordinates events like the MLK Breakfast, Purple Tree Lighting, and Women's Equality Day Breakfast.

Like the seeds she grows and nurtures in her own garden, Washington believes her role in the City's Human Rights Department is helping to grow something she loves - her City.

"I feel like I owe that to the universe - to model the kindness of my family back into my community," Washington said. "And in my own spiritual personal belief, I believe you take care of people who can't take care of themselves, and I think multiple places and multiple messages have let me know that the work that I do is important."