Member Profile

Darthula Young is the founder and president of Rooted in Dignity, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to advancing end-of-life education, planning, and preparation through seminars, workshops, and one-on-one consulting. Rooted in Dignity serves underserved, overlooked, marginalized, and BIPOC communities with compassion, dignity, and cultural relevance.
Ms. Young brings decades of leadership experience from the private sector, having served as Regional Vice President of Lockheed Martin IMS and Vice President of Maximus Inc. In 2022, she became a certified End-of-Life Coach and Doula through the Conscious Dying Collective, providing non-medical care, emotional support, and spiritual guidance to clients and their families during the dying process. In this role, she helps families create safe, sacred spaces that allow loved ones to transition with peace, dignity, and meaning.
Her leadership has been recognized nationally: she was selected for the National Benevolent Association (NBA) 2024 Entrepreneur Cohort, serves as an NBA Incubate Partner, and is a committee member of the Physician’s Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST).
Ms. Young’s voice has been featured on iHeart Radio, Intellectual Radio, and The Senior Zone program, and she has contributed as a panelist for Rainbow PUSH on African American women’s health, and Self Care at the 2024 Black Women’s Expo. She has also been highlighted in the Conscious Dying Collective Newsletter and CanvaRebel Magazine.
Through Rooted in Dignity’s signature programs—Conception to Transition (presented in collaboration with the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center), Departing with Dignity (a town hall series in partnership with Congressman Danny K. Davis), and Season of Strength—Ms. Young continues to guide individuals, families, and communities in navigating the complexities of death, grief, and legacy.