About Us
ShaRhonda Knott Dawson is a social justice and disability advocate who has been actively involved in activism, neighborhood clean-up and organizing, civil engagement, and community work since elementary work. With over 20 years of professional experience in nonprofit program management and 24 years as a political and community organizer, she focuses on engaging youth and people of color.
ShaRhonda received her undergraduate degree from the Jacob Carruther’s School of Inner-City Studies at Northeastern Illinois University with a concentration in the study of Western Civilization through an Afro-centric lens and her master’s degree from The University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration, with an emphasis on management and public policy. Though she is a columnist for Education Post, she publishes in different venues, including academic, scholarly, popular, literary, and webzines where she continues her activism by her critical reflection and analysis of the Socio-Political Realities and social justice themes such as politics, education, religion, immigration reform, racism, sexism, heterosexism, and homelessness. As a disabled Black woman raised in inner-city Chicago, in everything she does, ShaRhonda strives to eliminate all forms of oppression that negatively impact marginalized, minoritized, and disabled people.
Culturally, philosophically, spiritually, and politically, ShaRhonda identifies as a radical Black woman with strong ties to her African female ancestors and her faith, unafraid to speak the truth about the isms, racism, and sexism, and is greatly influenced by the writings, activism, and life of Ms. Ida Barnett Wells. Her publications include titles such as “Reading the Right Books, Not Just the White Books, Will Help Black Students Succeed; Fighting for Justice Still Kills Black People; White Allies, Do Your Share, Teaching Black History to My Daughter; and What Happened to Serena Williams at the U.S. Open Happens to Black Girls in School Every Day.” And most recently, a co-edited article with her mom, titled “The Pandemic Within Systemic Injustice: Intersectional Cultural Dimensions of Women’s Aging, Health, and Case Stories of COVID 19.”
ShaRhonda currently resides in the west suburbs of Chicago with her husband and two wonderful, strong-willed girls. She and her activist husband Brian are the co-founders of BRONDIHOUSE, LLC.
ShaRhonda Knott Dawson
Brian Dawson
Brian Dawson was born and raised in the Broadview community. Brian received his bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. After working for more than twenty years in the television industry, he left corporate America to pursue his life-long dream of becoming an educator and sharing his love of learning.
Brian is a governing member of the School Board for Lindop Elementary School and Board of Directors for Proviso Area for Exceptional Children. He was one of several founding members of Lindop's Reactivated Parent Teacher Student Organization, serving as Founding President. As the parent of a child with special needs, Brian understands the necessity to empower parents to understand the important role they play in their child's learning experience. As an educator, Brian advocates for services that aid parents in nurturing the "whole child", not just academics but also the social and emotional components.
As an activist educator and School Board Member, Brian is committed to building structures within our schools that match the school's needs and the community's diverse beliefs and values. His main concerns are empowering our parents, supporting our staff and teachers, and, most importantly, encouraging our children and creating Blue-Ribbon Schools in the Village of Broadview.
As Co-founders of BRONDIHOUSE, Brian and his wife ShaRhonda, are committed to providing quality, well-rounded education, that is culturally grounded, through training workshops for students, parents, community members, and educators.