Today we’d like to introduce you to Khadijah Butler.
Hi Khadijah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey to starting my nonprofit organization began last year. I was finally ready to honor my father’s tragic murder by honoring him and my community by starting the Craig D. Butler Scholarship Foundation. Every year, we aim to provide scholarships to African American High School seniors in Philadelphia in the aftermath of gun violence. By day, I am a Project Manager building and managing Clinical Trial databases so the essence of ‘giving back’ is embedded in my day today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not! Not only do I have to overcome being an African American female business owner, there are funding disparities for the African American culture for grant awards. It’s also tough empowering the community when the organization is not as visible as a celebrity-driven nonprofit or a local nonprofit newly formed. I also started the foundation two months before the Covid lockdown, which put a pin in any in-person events but I continue to persevere and spread awareness via social media and virtual events. As my Mother always says, as long as I’m patient, “This too shall pass.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
By day, I am a Project Data Manager for a Clinical Research Organization. I am the Functional Lead for the Data Operations department for Oncology Trials. I have been in the industry for 15 years with experience managing clinical trials in various therapeutic areas, including Oncology, Cardiovascular, Immunology, to name a few. I am most proud of the courage it took to start my foundation in my father’s memory. I can now think of him with joy, knowing instead of tears that he wasn’t murdered in vain and that his legacy will live on through my family and I with our foundation. What sets me apart from others is my ability to Beat the Odds. In every area of my life, society would not expect an African American woman from the inner city to achieve not one but two degrees (B.S. in Kinesiology, M.S.M in Management), have a successful career, nor own a business. My courage and fearlessness I get honestly from my father so no matter what or who is standing on my hands while I’m on a cliff, I always find a way to make it up.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love that Atlanta is considered the Black Mecca, that there are so many affluent individuals that are thriving and making a difference. The least is the traffic.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@craigdbutlerscholarship.com
- Website: https://www.craigdbutlerscholarship.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cdbscholarship/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Nonprofit-Organization/Craig-D-Butler-Scholarship-Foundation-110999400479626/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cdbfoundation?lang=en
