215: Unlocking Community Power: Identity, Advocacy, and Public Health with Darnell Barrington, MPH

Interview with Darnell Barrington, MPH

Listen Here:

The importance of personal identity in public health advocacy and why representation is vital for effective advocacy
Why community engagement is crucial for effective public health initiatives
The importance of capacity building in community organizations and leaders to affect system changes
Why we need to build trust and engage with communities by listening to their needs

He is an experienced community and behavioral health specialist working to impact community level solutions.

While pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Virginia State University, Darnell worked as a Public Health Intern at Virginia Tech.

After completing his undergraduate studies, he earned a Master of Public Health from University of North Carolina at Greensboro., where he served as a Graduate Assistant and worked as a Prevention Intern at the Children’s Home Society of NC. Following his Master’s, he became a Research Associate/Associate Program Manager at UNC Chapel Hill.

He later transitioned to Virginia Commonwealth University as a Research Associate and then took on the role of Program Coordinator at the Virginia Department of Health. Darnell currently serves as the Director of Health Department Initiatives at the Southern AIDS Coalition, where he oversees various health initiatives. Additionally, he obtained a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from The University of Texas at Austin.