Home
Rhie Azzam Morris
Reconstructing Systems, Not Humans
Reimagining New Ways
Rhie is an educator and leader in racial equity work, an organizer, and a thought partner and strategist in addressing and working towards a better world for all. She evolved into a tireless anti racist activist and community organizer as a teen and has carried that work with her in all aspects of her life for over 20 years. Rhie discovered a need to make the world around her a more just and equitable place during her life as a homeless youth. Having worked with LifeWorks in Austin as the Coordinator of the Austin Youth Collective, Rhie worked on an initiative with community partners and the City of Austin to bring an end to youth homelessness.
Rhie has developed and led trainings on the impact of trauma on youth experiencing homelessness and how providers can build authentic relationships, presented nationally on creating equity in the homeless response system by opening pathways to collaboration with young people experiencing homelessness, and has worked with Dell Medical School to create an educational tool for their Understanding Homelessness course.
Rhie served as co-chair the Austin/Travis County Continuum of Care’s Equity Task Force, as well as served as a core team member for Austin’s HUD Race Equity Demonstration Project (now the HUD CE Race Equity Initiative) team. Through her work with the Austin team, Rhie was invited to serve as a Subject Matter Expert in the intersections of race and lived expertise and is now supporting other communities in the round 1 cohort.
Rhie now works as a Technical Assistance provider working in homelessness nationally as a coach and technical assistance provider on the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program and the Coordinated Entry Race Equity Initiative.
Those of us who stand outside the circle of this society’s definition of acceptable women; those of us who have been forged in the crucibles of difference — those of us who are poor, who are lesbians, who are Black, who are older — know that survival is not an academic skill. It is learning how to take our differences and make them strengths.
–Audre Lorde- The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House
Services
Perspective
Rhie brings a perspective rooted in lived expertise both of actively being street dependent and embedded within the homeless response system, focused in advocating for reimagining systems and supporting and facilitating community groups of people with lived expertise in advocating for systems level change..
Leadership
Rhie provides training and consulting services, including strategic planning, data analysis, thought partnership focused in race equity and working with people with lived experience.
Strategic Planning
Rhie provides training in authentic engagement with people with lived experience and expertise as well as providing consulting and strategic planning support for mapping out initiatives focused on ending homelessness.
Testimonials
“Rhie is phenomenal. Full stop. As part of a CoC’s Strategic Plan, the Texas Homeless Network sought consultants to help us build the lived expertise muscle of the Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care. From the initial proposal to delivering a customized, thoughtful, and impactful content package, Rhie exceeded our expectations. We couldn’t be more pleased with the tangible results already developing due to our work with Rhie. She can speak to everyone in the room and do it authentically in a way that few others can. If you need help even figuring out what you are looking for, reach out. She is the real deal and adds value when she sits down with you to create a work plan. 10/10 would recommend. “
–Jim Ward, Director of Planning, Texas Homeless Network
“Rhie is consistent, assertive and groundbreaking.
What you find behind the woman is mindfulness of self, others and surrounding that you can see reflected in her philanthropic work, skill sets and shining personality. With her lived expertise she changes her portion of the world every day. Working with her is a joy and honor.
I couldn’t be more proud!”
— Chris Davis, Communications Manager, Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (Austin/Travis Co CoC Lead Agency)
Rhie Azzam Morris 