Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Rahmatu Kassimu.
Hi Dr. Kassimu, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Who I am is an amalgamation of parts, honestly. I am a second-generation immigrant; my mother came here from Liberia when she was pregnant with me, seeking the American dream for her half Liberian, half Ghanaian baby girl. I come from a low-income background. We were largely homeless in homeless shelters in Oak Cliff and couch surfing for the first five years of my life. I am highly educated, with four degrees, including a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, a Master of Public Health, a Master of Educational Leadership, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Health Studies. I am an educator going into my tenth year in public education, having impacted the lives of over 1300 students and sparked their love (sometimes tolerance) of science while advocating for their needs in and out of their classrooms. I’m a public health consultant helping organizations create and implement culturally responsive programming that effectively meets the needs of their priority populations. I’m also an academic writing coach, helping amplify voices that may have been ignored because they didn’t follow “traditional” conventions. I’m a health educator with an online presence, Dr. K.’s Health Minute yielding thousands of followers that provides “Just the Real…In 60 Seconds.” I’m a loyal friend that will go to the mat for anyone I consider “my person.” Under all this, I am simply a girl from Dallas with a heart for public health and kids, a desire for health equity, and a passion for advocacy. Oak Cliff raised me, teaching my kiddos gave me my heart, my education equipped me with the skills to leverage the strengths of those around me, and my momma ingrained a hustle in me. I’m a patchwork quilt, and it’s a masterpiece!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. However, I think that I am very good at projecting the image that it has been. As stated before, my mom and I were in and out of homeless shelters until I was 5. Our first apartment was in the projects, but you couldn’t have told my momma that it wasn’t a high-rise downtown. It was our little piece of heaven, and we made it work. I’d like to say that that was the only time in my life that we were homeless, but that would be a lie. I’d like to say that bills were always paid, cars were never repossessed, and that my momma never struggled, but that would be a lie. She did indeed struggle, but she always made sure that my brothers and I were cared for and covered in her love. Many people often assume that college was easy for me because I’m smart. That was not the case, by any stretch of the word. I was smart, yes, but I was also undisciplined and didn’t know how to study. Freshman year kicked me in the front teeth, and I almost quit a FEW times, but my drive wouldn’t allow it. I adjusted and thrived. By the time I began pursuing my Ph.D., I had kind of nailed this school thing down. Or so I thought. Writing my dissertation, coupled with the hot dumpster fire that was the year 2016, sparked a high-functioning depression that took me MONTHS to acknowledge. The hustler refused to ask for help, which crushed me until I did. I took small actions each day to keep myself lifted and developed a system of care for myself that included social support, journaling, meditation, and prayer. It’s not a perfect system, and there are often slumps, but I never allow myself to sink as far as I did that year and bounce back rooted in my purpose and identity, always looking to the future.
Then I hit a slump trying to find positions in my field. I had the education and training, but the experience was lacking because I’d been in school straight from high school. This garnered me 3 degrees, including a Ph.D. before 30, but not much practical experience in my field. I took internships anywhere I could and honed my skills that way but the job hunts still stalled. That, coupled with a few friends experiencing health issues and tragedies, provided the push to launch my consulting business finally. I was determined to create change and decided I’d need to pave my own path to do so.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Health disparities affect African American/Black people disproportionately in our country. Much of the disparity is due to a lack of access and information—particularly a lack of knowledge of how to advocate for oneself effectively. I do the work I do to reduce these health disparities and increase the quality of life in POC, particularly African American/Black people. Additionally, I’ve seen many good ideas or writing projects be passed over or not receive the attention or reception they deserve simply because they needed proper formatting or assistance in executing their message. I coach in academic writing to allow these voices to shine through.
Dr. K.’s Health Minute is a labor of love. I’ve seen and heard of so many instances, particularly stories of Black and Brown people who have had health concerns diminished or ignored to their detriment. So many stories of Black women experiencing horrible health outcomes due to lack of access, lack of knowledge, systematic racism, discrimination, or lack of advocacy. As a platform, I created DKHM to educate and empower, for we are our keepers. I provide services intended to educate, advocate, and motivate.
I made DKHM to serve as a source of tailored health and wellness information free from jargon that can confuse or leave one feeling powerless to take charge of their health. They say that “health is wealth,” but advocacy and knowledge are the currency.
As a platform, DKHM provides easily accessible and digestible “Health Minutes” to thousands of followers, empowering them to take charge of their health and advocate for themselves.
As a public health consultant and public speaker, I have been featured on Black Girls Can Heal, Public Health Me, wrote the foreword for “Our Doctoral Journey,”
a collection of Black women’s experiences pursuing their PhDs, and “I’ve Been Waiting,” an upcoming documentary discussing Black women’s experiences with medical racism, among other projects.
The Workdesk, the Academic Writing Coaching side of DKHM, has completed over 75 editing projects and 25 dissertations and coached 11 clients to PhinisheD.
I am set apart from others because I offer a client-specific and client-tailored approach to every project to ensure that goals are met, and clients walk away not only feeling that those goals have been met but that they are empowered to carry forth what they’ve learned to help others.
I operate on the principle of “Sankofa,” which means, “go and bring it back.” I want everyone to be able to bring back the knowledge and skills they’ve garnered back to their own communities to elevate.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love that there is always something to do in Dallas. If you simply look, you will find. However, I hate how spread out our city is. “Up the road” will literally take you through 10 to 15 neighborhoods.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.drkshealthminuteextended.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/dr.ks.healthminute
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrKsHealthMinute
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kinke_Queen
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@dr.ks.healthminute
Image Credits
Jamie Denae Photography
