By Jaivon Grant | California Black Media

Aaron McCall, who coordinates federal advocacy for California Environmental Voters, believes that the environmental protection movement to protect the planet has been viewed primarily through a White-centric perspective.

McCall is committed to shifting this paradigm.

By incorporating environmental justice issues into the national and state-level discussions on climate and conservation, McCall believes he can make a difference. He is also committed to drawing attention to the unique challenges Black and other minorities face as technology rapidly evolves to mitigate the effects of climate change and pollution.

“I really have a passion for environmental issues, specifically because in Oak View, there are a lot of oil rigs and trash refineries. This means the air quality for people living there is a lot lower — mainly Black and Brown people,” said McCall who is a resident of Costa Mesa in Orange County, but frequently visits Oak View – a neighborhood in Huntington Beach, located about eight miles away.

“The priorities are mainly rich and White, which leads to Black people not being at the table to talk about these issues. So, we are often the first to suffer,” he added.

According to McCall, environmentalists, who are predominately wealthy and White, often overlook the damage inflicted on Black and minority communities. Also, businesses pollute minority communities while ignoring the negative impact on both people and the environment, justifying their actions by claiming they “are giving Black people jobs.”

April is Earth Month. For African American environmental stewards in California like McCall and environmental justice advocates groups around the country like the National Black Environmental Justice Network, it is a time to highlight the tireless work they do year-round, and an occasion amplify some of the most pressing environmental challenges Black communities face.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), who is running for U.S. Senate to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein, says the effects of climate crisis are evident in California.

“Drought, record heat waves, and wildfires that have devastated entire communities. As the United Nations and scientists around the world have made clear, we can still preserve a livable climate for future generations. But that window is closing fast,” Lee said in her Earth Day statement.

“We also must recognize that justice has to be at the heart of our fight against climate change. This crisis is disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities around the world,” Lee added.

McCall says many Black communities remain on the frontlines of environmental pollution.

“There is currently lead in our water. There are kids who have been born that are now in middle school and have never had clean water in their homes,” said McCall. “There needs to be more equity and justice when it comes to investments and corporate accountability.”

Climate change, a result of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, is often perceived as a distant threat. However, evidence shows that the world is already experiencing changes in seasonal temperatures and weather patterns. For instance, Montebello, a city in Los Angeles with a predominantly minority population, recently experienced its strongest tornado in 40 years. This event forced over 15 businesses to close and likely spread pollutants from nearby waste facilities into the air and water.”

The solution to this issue is complex. Black environmental advocates often highlight that it is easy for privileged individuals to suggest that others simply relocate without considering their struggles and limitations. However, when environmental disasters occur in disadvantaged communities, residents often lack the resources and information necessary to protect themselves and their families.

An initiative that has become a national priority – and one of the biggest pushes for California state government — is the transition to electric vehicles. Black eco-activists argue that while the adoption of zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) is crucial, in the rush to adapt to them, advocates fail to consider the costs and potential impact on minorities or and lower-income communities during the transition.

“It’s not as easy as saying ‘buy an electric car to save the environment,’” says McCall. “There are quite a few significant factors to think about, especially for Black folks. Where are we going to charge it? Is the infrastructure in place? What are the limitations of the grid?”

“Black people have been involved in conversations about equity from the very beginning. There are many ways for us to continue to be involved and for our voices to be heard,” added McCall.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

On April 19, the California African American Chamber of Commerce (CALAACC) hosted the “Honorable Gwen Moore California Legislative Reception.”

The event celebrated the former California State Assemblymember with fond memories shared by colleagues, family, and friends. Moore, who passed away in August 2020, served in the California State Assembly from 1978 until 1994.

The reception took place in the ballroom of the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento. Former California state Sen. Roderick “Rod” Wright and former California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown discussed Moore’s extraordinary accomplishments in the political arena.

Brown, 89, explained that Moore did not vote for him when he became the first Black American Speaker of the State Assembly in 1981. She thought he was punishing her when he assigned her to an Assembly committee that Black lawmakers typically did not serve on.

Brown told the audience his intention was to place Black individuals in non-Black chairmanships. He said during his speakership, he was determined to expand the roles of Black lawmakers beyond traditional committees.

Brown shared that Moore eventually expressed her gratitude to him saying, “I am indebted to you for life. You just given me the opportunity to do something that no other Black person in the history of California has had the chance to do.”

Wright,70, said he met Moore before she served on the Los Angeles Community College District Board in 1975. He worked on Moore’s campaign for the countywide position.

Like Moore before him, Wright served as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce, which oversees telecommunications, electricity, private water corporations, natural gas, and other issues related to exchanging goods and services between businesses.

“It was one of the things that I looked forward to doing. Gwen would say to me, ‘Let me tell you how this committee works,’” Wright said. “Because, unlike everyone before me, I had to chair (the Committee on Utilities and Commerce) in the middle of an energy crisis. Gwen Moore was a true asset to me as a Chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce.”

Former California-Hawaii State Conference NAACP President Alice Huffman could not attend the conversation portion of the reception. A statement was read in her absence.

“Gwen was a loyal member of NAACP, serving both on the state’s executive committee for several years as well as on the National Board of the NAACP,” Huffman stated. “She was a loyal and dedicated member and gave her all to each of the boards she served. She embodied the true spirit of loyalty and dedication.”

The reception was attended by former and current lawmakers, business leaders, and members of the California Legislative Black Caucus. The event was hosted by KOVR 13’s Darla Givens and the Rev. Tecoy Porter, Senior Pastor of Genesis Church Sacramento, provided the invocation.

Timothy Alan Simon, CALAACC’s chair, provided an in-depth update of the business chambers’ goals for 2023 and introduced members of his organization and the California Legislature.

CALAACC is the state’s largest Black business chamber organization. Its mission is to “drive economic opportunity and wealth creation for African American businesses, connect and harness the collective strength of our statewide network of member organizations to elevate fiscal health,” according to the group’s website.

Simon highlighted that Moore was the architect and political force behind California General Order 156. This state supplier diversity program helped to strengthen and stabilize many California Black-owned, Women-owned and other minority-owned small businesses by assisting them in securing lucrative state contracts.

“In 2022, the total spent under General Order 156 with our California investors’ own utility was $14 billion, 30.1% classified as diverse and $18.44% minority,” Simon said. “African American businesses received close to $2 billion in utilities contracts.”

Sponsors of the two-hour reception included AT&T, California American Water, Sempra, SoCalGas, Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs, and Southern California Edison.

CALAACC Government Relations Chair and mayor of Rialto Deborah Robertson and State Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) welcomed guests and speakers on behalf of the organization. Los Angeles City Councilmember Heather Hutt (10th District) introduced Ms. Moore’s family members while praising her accomplishments.

“She fought in the Assembly (and) she fought alongside iconic Speaker Willie Brown, and she also fought for small businesses,” Hutt said. “She was the queen of diversity, and she was the person to think about small businesses and how businesses can do business with other businesses.”

During the reception, a special award ceremony recognized African American individuals whose ideas, leadership, business acumen, and political advocacy have improved the lives of people in communities across California.

The CALAACC presented the Gwen Moore Legislative Impact Award to Sen. Bradford, representative of the 35th District and Vice Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus; the Outstanding Advocacy Award went to Carolyn Veal-Hunter, Partner at Sloat Higgins Jensen and Associates; and Regina Wilson, Executive Director, California Black Media, received the Aubry Stone Outstanding Business Award.

The Gwen Moore California Legislative Reception Committee members Pat Watts, Ahmad Holmes, Caliph Assagai, Larry Bradshaw, Cheryl Brownlee, Deanna Roberts and Robertson were acknowledged by Simon for their efforts put into organizing an event in the name of an influential lawmaker and businesswoman.

“I’m honored to be here, not only the achievements of the California African American Chamber of Commerce, but the legacy of Gwen Moore,” Bradford said. “The impact that she had, not only public utilities, but the Legislature as a whole. The work that Gwen Moore started 30 years ago is still needed today.”

LOS ANGELES, CA—- This Sunday, Mayor Karen Bass, elected officials, over 800 volunteers, and over 50 community groups and nonprofits will lead service projects across the San Fernando Valley as part of Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel’s (D – Woodland Hills) Day of Service. Projects include assembling homeless outreach kits, packing essentials for domestic violence survivors, writing letters to seniors and healthcare workers, planting a new garden, and maintaining our state parks with organizations such as LA Family Housing, Hope The Mission, Haven Hills, ONEgeneration, Jewish Family Services of Los Angeles, and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.

The event will be held on Saturday, April 30 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Pierce College, located at 6201 Winnetka Avenue in Woodland Hills.

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

Last year, America mourned the tragic suicides of two Black men who were celebrated for their exceptional talents and renowned for their achievements in the entertainment world and their links to Hollywood. The first was Stephen “tWitch” Boss, a co-executive producer and guest DJ on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. The second was Ian Alexander Jr., who was the son of Academy Award-winning actress Regina King.

Away from national headlines, tens of thousands of families across the United States are grieving over loved ones who took their own lives – with men outnumbering women four to one as states across the country – including California – report alarming suicide rates every year.

Among Black Americans, suicide is having a unique impact on Black men.

This fact is well-known to Etienne Maurice, the founder and CEO of WalkGood LA, a community wellness-focused organization based in Los Angeles and led by Black and Brown individuals.

“When I was going through my psychosis and I was manic, I did have suicidal thoughts. I never thought I was going to actually commit to doing it, but the thought was scary enough,” Maurice told California Black Media (CBM) at his Black men’s healing circle event in Los Angeles, titled YouGood.

The high-profile suicides deaths of Boss and Alexander and the rising suicide rate among Black men – while tragic and unsettling – are not surprising to Jamal Averett, an actor and attendee at YouGood, who told CBM many Black men are “screaming inside.”

Data from the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, indicates that the suicide rate for Black individuals in California rose by 31.1% between 2010 and 2019, a substantial increase when compared to other ethnic groups.

“I think in order for us to really get those rates down, we have to build community with other Black men,” Averett said.

YouGood brought in 181 Black men to participate in guided yoga, meditation, journaling and exercises designed to encourage expressing their feelings.

One of the goals of the event was to challenge the stigma of emotional vulnerability among Black men.

“Growing up, we’re always taught to hold it in. Just be tough,” Averett said.

The organizers stated that another significant objective of this monthly event is to create a safe and supportive community for Black men, who have been conditioned to exhibit stoicism from a young age, to initiate the process of healing from the historical and daily traumas they have experienced.

Maurice explained how traumas, left unchecked, can take hold of someone’s life and spiral out of their control.

“I’d be in bed and be arguing with my mom, because I didn’t want to get out of bed,” Maurice said, sharing memories of interactions with his mother, the actress Sheryl Lee Ralph of Moesha and Abbott Elementary fame. “And I didn’t know why because I wasn’t that person — my mom never raised me to be that person, and she didn’t know me to be that person. So, it can be frustrating on all levels.”

Maurice noted that there is evidence that his inability to express his inner turmoil is something that some other Black men who have struggled with suicidal ideation have experienced.

“I didn’t even have a language for mental health. I think what drove me to that point was not having control,” Maurice said.

Rodrego A. Byerly is the President and CEO of EVITARUS, California’s only Black-owned-and-led public opinion and market research firm. He echoed Maurice’s point.

“There are a number of contributing factors I would point to, first and foremost a need for greater education and resources at our fingertips for how to cope with stress in all of its forms in life,” Byerly said.

What makes this crisis unusual and alarming is that the suicide rates for non-Hispanic White people decreased by 4.5% between 2019 and 2020, while the rate for non-Hispanic Black people increased by 4% according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.

Shakari Byerly, Managing Partner and Principal Researcher at EVITARUS, pointed to racism and social unrest as a potential explanation for this phenomenon.

“Everyday discrimination is associated with higher rates of depressive symptoms, and also what’s called suicide ideation, which are thoughts or contemplations of suicide,” Ms. Byerly said. “I think also the fact that depression and anxiety are gateways to suicide ideation as well.”

Dr. Kristee Haggins, Executive Director of Safe Black Space, said that while disproportionate violence targeting Black people is not a new occurrence, the level of exposure to incidents of anti-Black violence has increased.

“There’s this heightened view again, because it was splashed all across the media,” Haggins explained.

Maurice told CBM that repeated, highly publicized murders of Black men – specifically the murder of Ahmaud Arbery – is what inspired him to build his organization, stating that he started WalkGood to “fight for Black lives.”

The Black transgender community is also witnessing a surge in suicidal rates and this population has also been subjected to heightened levels of violence and hate crimes.

Rhonda Smith, Executive Director of the California Black Health Network, statewide organization committed to promoting health equity for African Americans and Black Immigrants, advises those struggling with suicidal ideation to reach out to people close to them, utilize resources in the community, such as churches, and call 988 if they are experiencing a crisis.

Smith – as well as Maurice and Averett – assured those who are dealing with depression and desperation that although you might feel otherwise, you are not alone.

For suicide prevention resources in your community and to learn more about the subject visit this page on the California State Senate website.

California Black Media’s coverage of Mental Health in California is supported by the California Health Care Foundation.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— On Sunday, April 30, at 2 p.m., the San Bernardino Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble will present their Spring 2023 concert entitled, “Tales of the City.” The concert will feature traditional and contemporary works for wind band, including “Big City Lights” by Marie Antoinette Douglas, “Halcyon Hearts” by Katahj Copley, “Hounds of Spring” by Alfred Reed, “American Hymnsong Suite” by Dwayne Milburn, and many more.

The concert will be held at San Bernardino Valley College in the North Hall Building, located at 701 S. Mount Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino. Free parking is available adjacent to the building.

Tickets are $10 each and will be available at the concert venue.

The San Bernardino Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble was established in 2020 and serves nearly a dozen unified school districts throughout the Inland Empire. Students in the ensemble range from ages 14-21. The ensemble operates under the direction of Dr. Nicholas Bratcher, director of bands and associate professor of music at Cal State San Bernardino.

For more information about the Youth Wind Ensemble, or to support student tuition scholarships, visit www.sanbernardinosymphony.org/youthwindensemble.

MONTGOMERY, AL — The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) issued the following statement in response to the death of Harry Belafonte, Jr., award-winning singer, actor, and civil rights activist.

“Harry Belafonte was a passionate civil rights icon whose contributions through the arts continue to inspire our fight for the freedom and liberation of Black and Brown people today. A strong supporter of Martin Luther King, Jr., Mr. Belafonte used his celebrity to quietly underwrite the civil rights movement. When necessary, he solicited famous friends and even financed the movement himself — paying bail money and hospital bills and organizing a committee that raised $50,000 to continue the Birmingham Campaign after Dr. King’s arrest.

“Belafonte’s activism extended beyond the United States as he fought against apartheid alongside Nelson Mandela and Miriam Makeba, campaigned for Mandela’s release from jail, and advocated for famine relief in Africa.

“The SPLC mourns the passing of Harry Belafonte, Jr., the epitome of a servant leader with an unwavering commitment to social justice worldwide.

“Our hearts are with Mr. Belafonte’s family and loved ones. In his honor, we will continue the march toward equity, justice, and liberation for all.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Kindergarten students from across San Bernardino and Highland participated in the KinderCaminata events in March and April, as part of a nationwide initiative that aims to promote college going among young children and their families.

Students dressed in matching, colorful t-shirts visited San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) where they were welcomed by students and staff alike. The students were accompanied by their teachers, parents, and college leaders, all of whom were there to show their support. By the time KinderCaminata finishes in April, close to 2,000 San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) kindergartners will have visited the campus, said Director of Elementary Instruction Amy Coker.

The KinderCaminata is an important event that highlights the importance of early education in a child’s life. Studies have shown that children who attend kindergarten are more likely to succeed academically and socially than those who do not.

By participating in this event, SBCUSD students are sending a strong, early message that they are committed to learning and that they understand the importance of education, Coker said.

“Our kindergarten students had a blast participating in the KinderCaminata,” Coker said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to show their enthusiasm for learning and to get the community involved in promoting the importance of college. We believe that early education is critical to a child’s success and we are committed to providing our students with the best possible start in life.”

RIVERSIDE, CA—- On Friday April 21, 2023, the city of Riverside became the first city in the Inland Empire to hold a Reparations Town Hall. The Town Hall was put on by the Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce as part of a two-day event focused on educating the public on the news of Reparations for African Americans in California.

The event was a debrief of the progress of Congressional Bill AB3121, enacted in September 2020, which established a nine-member Task Force to study and develop a recommendation for Reparations in California.

Following the educational portion of the event was a one-hour Q & A for the audience to get information on the questions they had about Reparations in California.

This historic event was the first of many to be held as part of the Social Economic Justice Advocacy program started by the Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce.

The second day of this two-day event was the Reparations Listening Session on April 22, 2023. This event also briefly discussed the progress of the Reparations movement in California. However, the major undertaking of the day was the Listening Session itself. Not only was this session the first held in the Riverside but also the first accessible for those located in the Inland Empire.

The session gave powerful insight on the history of personal injustices experienced by several of the attendees due to race disparities in California following slavery.

The session wrapped up with a few words of encouragement for the audience as well as a call to action on the importance of staying educated and involved with the Reparations Movement.

RIVERSIDE, CA— Robert was the founder Gram’s BBQ in Downtown Riverside in 1987. As a longtime resident of Riverside his life story is one of struggle and ultimately success. He was one of seven children that migrated to California in 1956 from Rock Hill, South Carolina with his parents Josie “Gram” (from whom the restaurant got its name) & Robert “Pete” Bratton, Sr. Life wasn’t always easy, but he made a choice to turn his life around and focused on his goal of building a successful restaurant business. He accomplished that with Gram’s. He developed an award-winning barbeque sauce, which is a blend of family recipes, daily freshness, and southern flare. He has left a legacy that will be around for many years to come.

Services will be held on Friday, April 28, 2023, at 11:00am at:

The Bridge Church

9904 Bloomington Ave.

Bloomington, CA 92376

Repast Immediately Following at:

Bloomington Recreation and Park

17909 Marygold Avenue

Bloomington, CA 92316

Cards may be sent to:

GRAM’S BBQ

3527 Main St.

Riverside, CA 92501

Send plants in lieu of flowers to:

METROPOLITAN MORTUARY

2902 Rubidoux Blvd.

Rubidoux, CA 92509

Questions can be directed to: Shirion Simmons, 951-525-0394 or Shirion.Simmons@gmail.com

By Antonio? ?Ray? ?Harvey? |? ?California? ?Black? ?Media?

The San Francisco Commission and Department on the Status of Women (DOSW) moved one step closer to helping transform the Golden Gate City into a fully-gender equitable city by staging an event centered on women’s voices, perspectives, and ideas.

In partnership with the African American Art and Culture Complex (AAACC), DOSW presented the “Shift Happens: Women’s Policy Summit” that attracted nearly 600 women to City View at The Metreon in downtown San Francisco on April 13.

The summit was a daylong event about “shifting narratives, policies, and culture” to create a “gender-equitable space” for women, said Kimberly Ellis, Director of DOSW. The event featured prominent women, allies and advocates from across the country to come up with effective ways DOSW can build inclusive pathways to education, tools and resources to create opportunities, and practical guides for health and safety.

“The Department of the Status of Women has reframed our work into three areas: health and safety, economic security, and civic engagement and political empowerment,” Ellis said “Today, you will hear conversations about shifting in those areas that needs to happen in order to get on the path to gender equity.”

Ellis continued, “Truth be told, the shift is always happening. We (women) are always called to higher levels. What I truly do believe is that as we climb, we must lift. And when you get there, bring other women along the way as you climb. So, today is just the beginning. We’re just getting started.”

The AAACC is a space for Black creatives to present, gather, and learn, while serving as a venue for all to experience Black art and culture. The DOSW collaborates with other city leaders and agencies to address issues on numerous intersectional and interdepartmental fronts. It promotes equitable treatment and fosters the advancement of women, girls, and nonbinary people throughout San Francisco through policies and programs.

With the city’s skyline as its background, the summit attracted movement makers, policy leaders, proprietors, elected officials, community advocates, artists, and more.

Ellis and her staff brought in an array of dynamic speakers from various sectors of society. San Francisco Mayor London Breed opened up the eight-hour summit with a warm welcome and address.

Guest speakers from San Francisco included California State Controller Malia Cohen, San Francisco Supervisor Myrna Melgar, and San Francisco City Administrator Carmen Chu.

Conversations with CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest, Sallie Krawcheck, and U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) were also part of the program.

“We have to start highlighting the conversations about addressing the challenges that exist for women and making sure that we are taking action, putting forth women’s voices and women’s needs — and not to be apologetic about talking about it publicly” Breed said. “Today is that day to hear from various panels, actresses, people in law enforcement, men who support women and all of these kinds of folks from all over the state of California coming together to empower you.”

The first panel during the Economic Security segment focused on various economic and financial resources available to women at the local, state and federal levels in California, as well as products and support through private and philanthropic initiatives. Panelists included Holly Mitchell, Los Angeles County Supervisor; Natalie Foster, Economic Security Project President and Co-Founder; Amy Everitt, CEO of Golden State Opportunity/CalEITC; Nicole Agbayani, San Francisco Office of Financial Empowerment Director; and Kimberlee Vaye, program director of California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.

“We understand at the core that women are responsible for keeping families whole and keeping communities whole,” said Mitchell, who is one of five history-making policymakers serving on an all-woman L.A. County Board of Supervisors. “When we have policies that disproportionately, negatively impact us, we are compromising the integrity of all of our communities. We do what we can to end the systemic racism and sexism that have led us to the conditions that we are expected to live and survive in today.”

The second panel addressed health and safety. Panelists included women of color Police Chiefs, District Attorneys and Sheriffs who mostly lead predominately male staff. Diana Becton, Contra Costa District Attorney; Tanzanika Carter, San Francisco Assistant Sheriff; Christina Corpus,
San Mateo County Sheriff; Bisa French, Richmond Police Chief; Brooke Jenkins, San Francisco District Attorney, Tina Nieto; Monterey County Sheriff and moderator Diana Oliva-Aroche, the Director of Policy and Public Affairs for the San Francisco Police Department spoke during this segment.

The final panel, civic engagement and political empowerment, discussed specific legislation already in the works to address structural gender inequities, as well as ways DOSW intends to leverage individual and collective efforts to organize.

The panel consisted of U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Emiliana Guereca Zeidenfeld, Women’s March Action Chief Executive Officer; Molly Watson, Deputy Director of California Donor Table; Erica Pinto, chairwoman of Jamul Indian Village of Kumeyaay; Sara Guillermo, IGNITE National Chief Executive Officer; and the panel’s moderator Aimee Allison, She The People President.

Tlaib made history in 2008 by becoming the first Muslim woman to ever serve in the Michigan legislature. She was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. She shared her childhood experiences, talked about her close connection to the Black community in Detroit, and the tensions she sometimes experiences serving in Congress as a woman of color.

“When I got on to that floor it really was not an institution ready for me. It really wasn’t,” Tlaib said at the summit. “But it’s going to be ready for us (women of color) because we are not going anywhere.”

An all-male panel, titled “Power ‘Man-el,’” provided a provocative conversation that explored topics including strategies to shift cultural narratives around societal roles, gender equitable frameworks in the business and private sectors and recent legislation around pay transparency.

The members of San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women spoke about championing the equitable treatment and advancement of women and girls across social, economic and political indexes through policies, programs and legislation.

In the Fall of 2020, Ellis was appointed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed to lead the DOSW. She was charged with helping to lead advocacy efforts at the local, state and federal levels for resources and policies that create greater opportunity for women, girls and nonbinary people.

Ellis manages a $25 million budget, including more than $13 million in discretionary city-funded grants to community-based organizations to support issues like gender-based violence and housing insecurity. An additional $11 million in state, federal and privately funded grants are under her purview.

Kimberly Ellis is doing such an amazing job and really making shifts happen,” U.S Congresswoman Lee said before her virtual fireside chat with Ellis during the summit.

Ellis is known around the country as a power player in politics. She has appeared on syndicated television and radio, having been interviewed by national political media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Associated Press.

Ellis has run national operations, including the shepherding of the state and federal incorporation and launch processes in 2010 as the National Affiliate Director at Emerge America, the nation’s most effective training program for Democratic women who run for office. She led the flagship affiliate, Emerge California, as its Executive Director. Ellis holds a law degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Law at Northcentral University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Jacksonville University.

“If you like what you saw, heard, and felt it today, tell a friend, tell two or three, and tell them we are going to do this again next year,” Ellis said of hosting another women’s summit.