For Candice Crenshaw, director of education and outreach at the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, leadership has always meant showing up boldly and giving generously — to her community, her colleagues and her clients. But through her recent experience with the Professional Leadership Program for Women & Allies at the Dr. Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute, she discovered that one of the most powerful forms of leadership begins with something far quieter: rest.
“I’m always pouring out, leading trainings, supervising a team, running a hair business,” Crenshaw shared. “But the women in this program literally sat me down and said, ‘Candice, when are you going to rest?’ That was my aha moment. I needed to learn how to pause.”
The program, which combines expert-led sessions with peer learning and deep reflection, gave Crenshaw the tools to do just that. “Rest doesn’t always mean laying down and going to sleep,” she said. “It’s about intentional space—taking a walk, blocking off time to think clearly, stepping back so I can lead with focus.”
Crenshaw came into the program at a transformational point in her life. “I had just experienced a divorce, and this program filled that space with something positive,” she said. “It became a healthy outlet in a season I’d never experienced before.”
She credits the encouragement of her supervisor and executive director, Cleveland L. Horton II, for supporting her application as well as her professional colleagues and support system! The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights has a strong commitment to professional development, and Crenshaw had already seen the impact of other Grasmick Institute programs across the agency.
Crenshaw’s role at the Commission centers on education and advocacy, often in emotionally charged or high-stakes settings. The lessons she gained—especially around rest, perspective-taking, and emotional intelligence—will serve her both professionally and personally. “Sometimes I have to step outside of myself and into someone else’s shoes,” she said. “This program reminded me to do that with more patience and intention.”
She also rediscovered the value of grounding. “I gave a five-minute speech called Rooted in Him, because I’ve realized that even in the darkness, I was being planted so I could bloom,” she said.
Reflecting on her journey, Crenshaw believes every woman deserves the kind of space this program provides. “It’s easy to fall into the routine of life — family, faith, career — and forget who you are. This program reminded me. And once you’re reminded, you feel revived, refreshed, and reenergized.”
With renewed confidence and clarity, Crenshaw is ready to step forward in her work, using what she’s learned to support equity, inclusion, and human rights across Maryland and beyond.
