Rasheed Malik passed away May 31, 2024, after a battle with an illness. He was a beloved member of American Progress, serving most recently as the senior director of Early Childhood Policy, contributing his skills and talents over eight years.
Rasheed’s work focused on child care infrastructure and supply, the economic benefits of child care, and bias and discrimination in early childhood policy. His research has been featured in or cited by The New York Times, Vox, The Washington Post, NPR, Slate, CNNBusiness, and CNBC, among others. A pioneering researcher; tireless advocate for children; and caring colleague, mentor, and friend, Rasheed embodied the best of American Progress. His groundbreaking research exposed the dire state of America’s early childhood landscape—finding that a majority of Americans live in child care deserts—and continues to be widely cited by academics, policymakers, early childhood advocates, and the media. His indispensable work was also a predicate for landmark progressive legislation to build an equitable and affordable early learning ecosystem in the United States and played a crucial role in helping early educators and the American people navigate a once-in-a-century pandemic.
Prior to joining American Progress, Rasheed was a government affairs and communications associate for the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, an organization with the goal of making the New York Harbor a shared, resilient, and accessible resource for all New Yorkers.
Rasheed held a master’s degree in public policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from Baruch College. He is survived by his wife and two young children.