By Jade Pearce

Ahoua Koné will be retiring from her position as clinical associate professor in the University of Washington School of Public Health (UW SPH) after nearly three decades of deeply appreciated service. Not only has she played critical roles in the Global Health MPH program, co-leading the SPH EDI initiative, and leading large HIV projects with Health Alliance International, but she has also led and participated in numerous community initiatives. Ahoua’s multifaceted career has given her a unique perspective, for which she has received numerous recognitions, including the UW Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award, the Seattle University Law School Vanguard Leader of the Year Award, and the Paul Harris Fellow Award from Rotary International. She is highly revered by her UW community and by many local and international organizations. Giving voice to and advocating for others has been a cornerstone of her work. For Ahoua, community and connection have guided her vision in both a professional and personal way.  

In this Q&A, Ahoua reflects on her life’s work as a public health practitioner, a principal investigator, human rights lawyer, professor, community activist, and a mother — and shares her insight on the importance of relationship building and her plans in her next adventure.

Throughout much of your work, you have focused on various forms of community engagement, equity and social justice. Where did you begin to develop this activist mindset?

My life was changed because people in my hometown of Bouaké in Côte d’Ivoire advocated for me. My dad was the chief of our tribe and a community leader. I loved to accompany him when he was running errands. During one of these errands, we passed a newly built elementary school. A teacher saw us passing by and approached us and asked my father why I was not enrolled in this school. My father responded that he did not see value in that and that I was going to attend a Madrassa school (Islamic school) soon. The teacher continued to appeal to my dad and even came to our house. Finally, he asked if I was interested in attending a western school and I said yes. The following day, I told my grandma that I wanted to go to a western school, but dad was opposed. Surprisingly, my grandma advocated for me because several days later, my dad asked me whether I wanted to go to school. A few weeks later I was enrolled in kindergarten. I am forever grateful to my grandmother and to that teacher for their advocacy and perseverance to push for something that I wanted. I was powerless and they made me strong by standing up for me and uplifting my voice. From that experience, I came to value community engagement and over time, I developed the desire to stand up and stand by others and promote equity and justice in all that I do.

As a professor at the UW, a practicing attorney, and active community member, how have these roles shaped your activism?

I feel that my professional trainings and my activism have bridged my passions and shaped how I live my life. I try to embody three of the seven principles of Kwanzaa: Imani (faith), Umoja (unity) and Kumba (creativity). I also have been fortunate to operate in amazing environments and with incredible colleagues, all of which have helped shape and deepen my activism. Most recently, my engagement with UW concerned faculty and my work as SPH EDI co-chair has brought many of my prior experiences full circle; being able to share my knowledge and advocating for inclusion and belonging at SPH. I am grateful for the wide spectrum of relationships I have developed with colleagues and former students. The lifelong friendships we built and camaraderie has enabled us to be present for and with each other, whether it’s to provide a shoulder to cry on in challenging times, a helping hand or a hug to reassure that we are not alone, or to join our voices for activism for real change.  

Looking back on your career path, what are you most proud of? What are you hoping to continue?

I find satisfaction when my efforts bring joy to others and uplift them. Building relationships has been my compass and I firmly believe in lighting the “candles of others” because collectively, we will have a brighter environment. So, in whatever I do, I try to ignite the candles of others, especially minoritized individuals, from a lens of justice and equity. It’s truly an honor when students, co-workers, clients and loved ones tell me that I uplift them. In the end it’s all about the people and relationships and when I can help make a difference, that is priceless to me.  

Despite retiring from the UW, I can imagine your work is not done. What are your plans as you begin this next phase in your life.

I am truly excited about this transition to retirement. I feel I have done a lot, touched many people and I have learned so much. Now it’s time for creativity and to explore other paths. I remain open to life’s opportunities and maintaining flexibility as I have done throughout my career. While I envision spending more time with my family and selfcare activities, a longtime dream of mine has been to create a museum of West African social history and culture. Several years back, I was visiting Côte d’Ivoire and saw one of my girlfriends and her daughter. Together, we went to visit another friend at a farm that had banana trees. My friend’s daughter who had lived her whole life in the urban capital city had never seen or touched a banana tree before. Having grown up with farms nearby, I was shocked to witness that someone growing up in the heart of Africa had not seen where bananas come from. It made me realize there are many things urban children are missing out on and thereby losing their cultural connection. So, I thought it would be great to one day create a small museum or exhibit that would demonstrate how traditionally certain things are made in Côte d’Ivoire. For instance, how raw cotton is transformed into threads to weave Kente cloth, or how cooking pots are made from clay. If I am able to help preserve these practices and give people, especially children, an opportunity to experience traditional cultures, then it’s worth doing.