Kassie M. Edwards

Kassie Edwards is a passionate public servant, advocate for victims of sexual assault, and museum professional. She is currently a curatorial research assistant at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, and Fundraising Chair on the Board of Directors for the DC Rape Crisis Center. Edwards's dedication to ending sexual violence has made her an inspirational figure, who has been interviewed by CBS, BET, FOX, and the Washington Post.

In 2008, Edwards was raped by a stranger at Strozier Library while working in Florida State University's work-study program. Despite her traumatic experience, Edwards was determined to keep her academic goals in focus and completed her bachelor’s in African American Studies at FSU in 2010. She moved to Rhode Island shortly afterward to pursue a career in museum education at The Providence Children's Museum and then onto the DC Metro area to continue her career at the Smithsonian while earning her master's in Public Administration from Washington Adventist University in 2015.

In the Fall of 2014, First Lady, Michelle Obama, and then-Vice President Joe Biden invited Edwards to the White House as a Champion of Change in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act.

In 2016, she received the Prince George's County Social Innovation Fund's 40 Under 40 award and the Zella Holbert Alumni Award from her alma mater, Washington Adventist University. In 2017, she was recognized for her public service efforts with the Aspiring Legends award from the Living Legends Service to Humanity organization. Bronx-born with Jamaican roots, Edwards calls St. Petersburg, FL her hometown.

In her spare time, Edwards enjoys hosting dinner parties for her friends, writing poetry, watching CNN with her husband, and playing board games with her bonus kids.