The Township Trustee
Denita Washington
When you speak to Denita Washington, it’s hard not to feel the positivity she exudes. It’s hard not to feel like everything is going to be okay.
That is part of Denita’s leadership style—a style she calls leading with love. It has helped her develop
a reputation for breaking down barriers and building up citizens on the southeast side of Fort Wayne. It also earned her the trust of her constituents; in 2018 she became the first African American woman to be voted in as the trustee of Adams Township in Allen County.
Over the years, Denita has channeled challenging experiences from her own life into creating safe spaces and inspiring programs for young women. Her main platform for reaching this audience is through Girlz Rock, a community program she created 11 years ago to help young women and their mothers rise up through woman-to-woman support, mentorship and leadership training.
“This work is important to me because I have witnessed too many young ladies—who did not have
a strong sense of self-respect, confidence and worth—go down a dark path,” Denita said. “It is my mission to help young ladies become courageous enough to fight whatever comes their way to reach their destiny. We want them to know they are loved, seen and valued in the Girlz Rock family.”
What a life of significance and worth looks like to Denita:
“I feel I am living a life of significance and worth when the work I am blessed to do impacts others in such a way that they hunger to be better— physically, mentally and spiritually—in their own lives.”
Learn more about Denita’s work
Story courtesy of Input Fort Wayne
Story courtesy of Fort Wayne Ink Spot
Learn about GirlzRock on Facebook
Denita was featured on Women Are: Fort Wayne, a podcast produced by Monstrous Regiment Media and distributed by 89.1 WBOI
- Women are Guiding Young Women From Pain to Purpose, Feb. 14, 2020