Project 21 Ambassador P. Rae Easley is a nationally recognized civic leader, financial professional and media hostess whose work spans public policy, international education, regulated finance and political commentary. She is known for combining technical expertise with community-grounded advocacy.
P. Rae earned her Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Hampton University and her Master of Education in Language, Literacy and Culture from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). She spent seven years as a FINRA-registered Investment Advisor at Merrill Lynch, advising clients in a highly regulated environment on wealth management, financial planning and risk analysis. This professional background informs her approach to economic policy, regulatory oversight and fiscal accountability.
Her civic engagement began at 12 years old, when she volunteered in the office of Congressman Danny K. Davis. By her graduation from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, P. Rae had completed over 500 documented community service hours, including work on federal housing policy through Congressman Davis’s office and the Chicago Westside Branch of the NAACP.
P. Rae later lived abroad and served as a founding teacher at IQRA Bilingual Academy, Africa’s first and only American-accredited international bilingual Islamic school. She also worked as an international literacy consultant for international schools throughout Dakar, Senegal, gaining exposure to diplomatic, educational and international leadership circles. These experiences shaped her understanding of how diplomacy and global relationships can be leveraged to bring resources, partnerships and investment back to local communities.
In media, P. Rae is the former hostess of “Black Excellence Hour” on WVON 1690 AM Chicago, a role she held for three years. During her tenure, the program became the top-performing show on the station, recognized for elevating substantive political, economic and cultural discourse.
P. Rae is frequently featured on national political platforms and has been publicly recognized by the current president of the United States as someone “wise beyond [her] years.” She is the mother of a 14-year-old daughter who attends Chicago Public Schools.