Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies

Mina Anochie is a Research and Policy Fellow with Altadena Rising and also serves as a Lead Policy Fellow at the LA Civil Rights Department. She is deeply committed to bridging theory and action in order to amplify the voices and meet the needs of underrepresented communities. She centers community knowledge and lived experiences in a powerful approach to justice and equity. With Altadena Rising, she conducts community-centered research on Altadena’s Unmet Needs, to support collective recovery and return following the Eaton Fire, with a focus on ensuring Black and most vulnerable families are not left behind by providing actionable insights that guide advocacy and decision-making.

Mina excels in community-engaged research that challenges traditions and reimagines how knowledge is produced and shared. Her passion is rooted in a commitment to research, activism, law, and policy. She is experienced in collaborating with community members, government representatives, and cross-sector partners to bring external expertise into local contexts. Her work also supports public-facing reporting and accessible campaigns that ensure communities have the information they need to engage in recovery and policy processes. At her core, Mina is a strong believer in sacrifice, persistence, and dedicating intentional time and effort toward her goals no matter the obstacles.

Mina holds a BA in Public Affairs and minors in Education Studies and Labor Studies from UCLA. She will begin her legal education at Columbia Law School as a Richman Fellow in the fall of 2026.

Karen Bass is the 43rd Mayor of Los Angeles and the first woman and second African American to be elected as the city’s chief executive. A daughter of Los Angeles, Mayor Bass served as a front-line healthcare provider as a nurse and as a Physician Assistant. Mayor Bass founded the Community Coalition to organize the predominantly Black and Latino residents of South L.A. against substance abuse, poverty and crime, and to pioneer strategies to address the root causes behind the challenges faced by underserved neighborhoods. She then went on to represent Los Angeles in the State Assembly and was elected by her peers to serve as Speaker, making her the first African American woman to ever lead a state legislative body in the history of the United States. Mayor Bass earned her bachelor’s degree in health sciences from CSU Dominguez Hills before graduating from the USC Keck School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program and earning her master’s degree in social work from USC.

Raised on salsa, merengue, and cumbia, Aloe Blacc fell in love with hip-hop as a kid and started writing rap songs when he was nine. With his lyrics drawing influence from socially conscious artists like KRS-One, he put out his first hip-hop mixtape at age 17. Later developing a fierce admiration for such soul musicians as Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye, he also discovered an affinity for folk-rock singer/songwriters during his college years. “One of the most important factors in my transition from hip-hop to being a singer was listening to people like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, and Cat Stevens,” Blacc says. “Their songs are full of emotion that’s expressed in strong lyrics, and that had a big impact on me.”

After inking a deal with indie label Stones Throw, Blacc released his solo debut Shine Through in 2006 and sophomore album Good Things in 2010. Boosted by the breakout success of “I Need a Dollar” (which was selected as the theme song to HBO’s How To Make it In America), Good Things reached gold status in countries around the world and paved the way for his signing to XIX Recordings/Interscope Records in 2012. Made in collaboration with groundbreaking producers like Pharrell Williams, Lift Your Spirit dropped on New Year’s Day in 2014, debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Album.

Looking back on his musical path so far, Blacc notes that landing a deal with XIX Recordings/Interscope prompted a major moment of reckoning, and led him to re-examine his artistic intentions. “When I signed a major-label contract, I recognized the power of having a larger audience, and I promised myself that I’d use my voice for social change,” he says. And in creating his upcoming album, Blacc has kept focused on making music meant to inspire a positive shift in mindset. “When things happening in the world seem so terrible and dark, it’s so easy to get stuck in all the negative,” he says. “But I try to do whatever I can to help people out of that. I want my music to be the light.”

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan represents California’s 55th Assembly District, which consists of Baldwin Hills, the Crenshaw District, Culver City, Ladera Heights, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms, Pico-Robertson, Beverly Grove, Mid-Wilshire, and large parts of South Los Angeles. In the Assembly, Isaac serves as Chair of the Committee on Natural Resources as well as Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on The Status of Boys and Men of Color. In addition, he serves as a member of the following committees: Government Organization, Judiciary, Privacy & Consumer Protection, and the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies.

In 2024, he was elected Vice Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus after serving as the Treasurer for two years prior. Isaac is a community organizer, policy expert, and a published scholar. Prior to his election to the Assembly, Isaac led a ballot measure that brought millions of dollars a year to address racial injustice and strengthen communities in Los Angeles. He also served as the founding Director of the UCLA Black Policy Project – a think tank dedicated to advancing racial equity through rigorous policy analysis. Additionally, while working for the City of Los Angeles, Isaac authored the City’s first holistic report on the needs of formerly incarcerated Angelenos. For years, his academic and legislative work has been a powerful driver at the intersection of environmental, economic, education, racial, and housing justice.

Taylor Campbell is a community organizer who grew up in Altadena and co-founded Altadena Rising in the aftermath of the January 2025 Eaton Fire. From day one, her mission has been clear: ensure every family is counted and every survivor is treated with dignity. She leads the community census and unmet needs initiatives, developing tools that empower survivors to tell their own stories and producing reports that translate those experiences into
meaningful advocacy. A big-picture thinker with a deep attention to detail, Taylor brings both heart and vision to everything she does.

With over a decade of experience in government, public service, and strategic advising, Taylor has served as a Presidential appointee in the Obama Administration and advised organizations such as the Black Lives Matter Network. She shows up fully and reliably, with a level of creative energy that consistently exceeds expectations.

Chuck D is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, cultural icon and hip-hop legend, social activist, author, digital music pioneer, visual artist and multi-media producer. Known worldwide as the co-founder of Public Enemy, he ignited a movement with his fearless lyrics and remains one of the most influential figures in contemporary culture.

Creating and delivering groundbreaking music since 1987, Public Enemy and Chuck D have been the subjects of exhibits at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the GRAMMY Museum, and iconic items from their history are archived at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 and received the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. The New York Times named Public Enemy’s music to their list of the “25 Most Significant Albums of the Last Century” and in 2005 The Library of Congress added “Fear of a Black Planet” to their National Recording Registry. “It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back” (15) and “Fear of A Black Planet” (176) were both named to Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020 while “Fight The Power” was named #2 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 2021 list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (which also included “Bring The Noise“) and is in the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. “Harder Than You Think” was used as the theme song to the MLB Network’s 2013 baseball season coverage and the UK’s Paralympic Games in 2012, which drove the song to #4 on the British charts that year.

Reflecting his impact on global culture far beyond music and lyrics, Chuck produced the 2023 PBS/BBC docuseries, “Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World,” Apple’s “Shattered: Story of The Knicks” podcast and Spotify/BBC Studios’ “Stay Free: Story of The Clash.” He wrote one of the theme songs to ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball show, the 2003 ESPY Awards theme song, hosted the network’s documentary Ali Rap in 2006 and, along with Amani K. Smith, composed and contributed additional music to LeBron James’ 2018 Showtime docuseries, “Shut Up And Dribble.”

In addition to his work with Public Enemy and his solo career, Chuck D is a founding member of the supergroup Prophets of Rage, alongside members of Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill, and is releasing an album with John Densmore of The Doors later this year. He is also a visual artist whose work has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide and is included in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. A retrospective of his work was published by Genesis Books in 2023, entitled “Livin’ Loud,” and he has released a series of graphic novels and illustrated books. Chuck runs a magazine titled Rap Central Station, the cultural media app Bring the Noise, hosts a show on SiriusXM and has written several books.

Assemblymember Sade Elhawary is an educator, organizer, and advocate for social justice who represents the 57th Assembly District, including the communities of Exposition Park, South Los Angeles, and Downtown Los Angeles. Born and raised in Los Angeles, the Assemblymember is the eldest daughter of Egyptian and Guatemalan immigrants who came to the United States seeking a brighter future. At Community Coalition for over 12 years, Elhawary was mentored by Mayor Karen Bass and City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and served as a youth organizer recruiting and developing future leaders of the social justice movement. Her achievements include helping establish the Fremont High School Wellness Center to reduce health disparities in a medically underserved neighborhood and securing the School Climate Bill of Rights to reduce racial profiling in schools.

Elhawary played a pivotal role in founding the Nelson Mandela School for Social Justice, shaping its curriculum and first graduating class. Her work reflects her deep commitment to improving outcomes for women and young people of color while fostering Black/Brown solidarity. Assemblymember Elhawary holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and a master’s from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She shares a home in South Los Angeles with her foster daughter Makailah.

Dr. Lorrie Frasure is the Director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA. She is the inaugural Ralph J. Bunche Endowed Chair and a Professor of Political Science and African American Studies. Since joining UCLA’s faculty in 2007, she has made history as the first woman of color and the first Black female to earn tenure and rise to the rank of Full Professor in the Department of Political Science. She served as Vice Chair for Graduate Studies (2019–2022) and as Acting Director of the Bunche Center (2019–2020). Her research examines racial and ethnic political behavior, African American politics, women and politics, immigrant political incorporation, and state and local politics. Her book, Racial and Ethnic Politics in American Suburbs (Cambridge University Press), received two national awards from the American Political Science Association: the Best Book on Race Relations in the U.S. (Race, Ethnicity, and Politics Section) and the Dennis Judd Best Book Award (Urban and Local Politics Section). She is also co-author of Uneven Roads: An Introduction to U.S. Racial and Ethnic Politics (CQ Press, 3rd Edition, 2024). Frasure is the lead Co-Principal Investigator of the Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (CMPS), the first cooperative, multiracial, multiethnic, and multilingual post-presidential election survey in the United States. The CMPS and the CMPS Scholars Research Network bring together nearly 250 scholars across more than 100 colleges and universities. The CMPS is widely recognized as one of the most influential and innovative survey data collection projects in the social sciences. Frasure recently served as the 78th President of the Western Political Science Association (2024–2025). She is the recipient of UCLA’s Distinguished Teaching Award, the university’s highest honor for teaching excellence, as well as several national fellowships and awards including the Ford Foundation Dissertation and Postdoctoral Fellowships and the Clarence Stone Young Scholars Award from the APSA Urban Politics Section. A first-generation college graduate, born and raised on Chicago’s South-Side, Frasure earned her B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, her Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago, and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park. She completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Cornell University before joining the faculty at UCLA.

Kevin G. Harbour, Sr. serves as the CEO of Bizfed Institute and is a seasoned business professional whose background includes working over 30 years in IT, telecom and emerging technology industries. He has worked for Fortune 100, 500 and 1000 corporations, been a franchise business owner, UCLA Alumni Director of Corporate Strategic Partnerships, and a leading non-profit executive with BizFed and BizFed Institute.

He joined BizFed as the Director of Business Development in 2017 and was promoted to Chief Development Officer. He was then hired as the President of BizFed Institute (BFI) in 2019, a position he still holds after convening over 35 summits, forums, programs, and conferences on issues and opportunities affecting the regional economy.

Kevin continues striving to grow BFI and its brand by leading efforts for meaningful discussions with public- and private-sector leadership regarding business, environmental, infrastructure, technology, housing, energy, water resiliency, health, transportation, and social issues that affect us all. These efforts are designed to move from “discussions, to public policy, to action” by implementing relevant, value-added, measurable programs.

In doing so, BFI aspires to become a permanent stakeholder that participates in and contributes to the growth and prosperity of our regional economy and the quality of life. Kevin is a UCLA alum and member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He also sits on the Advisory Board of UCLA Extension, and was the inaugural Chair of the CA Jobs First Steering Committee (formerly known as CERF) in October of 2023. Kevin is also an executive committee member of the Greater LA Black Leaders Collective.

Dr. Jasmine Hill is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research explores racial inequality in the labor market and the material, cultural, and spatial underpinnings of working poverty. Jasmine’s scholarship has appeared in top-ranked academic journals like Social Problems, The DuBois Review, Teaching Sociology, and in 2017 she co-edited Inequality in the 21st Century with David Grusky. Her forthcoming book manuscript with the University of California Press explores racial capitalism and the architecture of the low-wage labor market, taking evidence from the experiences of Black job seekers in Inglewood, California.

Darnell Hunt began serving as UCLA’s executive vice chancellor and provost — responsible for administering campus operations and the academic enterprise — in September of 2022. A celebrated scholar of race and media, he is also well known for his longstanding commitment to high-quality public education, support of interdisciplinary research for the common good, and vision for inclusive excellence.

Since joining UCLA in 2001, EVCP Hunt has served as interim chancellor (August 2024–December 2024), dean of the UCLA College’s Division of Social Sciences (2017–2022), chair of the Department of Sociology (2015–17) and director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies (2001–17). He currently holds faculty appointments in UCLA’s departments of sociology and African American studies.

Hunt has written extensively about issues related to race, media and culture, including four books and numerous articles for both scholarly journals and media outlets. For more than two decades, he has studied questions of access and diversity in the entertainment industry. From 2014 to 2022, he was the lead author of UCLA’s annual Hollywood Diversity Report, providing comprehensive analyses of the employment of women and people of color in front of and behind the camera in film and television. He also authored six installments of the Writers Guild of America’s Hollywood Writers Report between 2005 and 2016.

A sought-after expert and commentator on subjects tied to race and media, Hunt has spoken at events sponsored by the Federal Communications Commission, the United Nations, the Congressional Black Caucus, numerous colleges and universities, and other organizations. He served as a member of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations Academic Advisory Board and as a staff researcher for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ hearings on the 1992 Los Angeles civil disturbances.

Hunt’s service to UCLA has included membership on the Chancellor’s Council on the Arts, the Campus IT Steering Committee, the Civic Engagement Task Force (chair), and the Faculty Forward Initiative task force. He has also served on the Committee on Diversity and Equal Opportunity, Committee on Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools (chair), Classroom Advisory Committee, the UC Board on Admissions and Relations with Schools, and the UC Press Board of Directors.

Hunt is a member of the American Sociological Association, the Association of Black Sociologists and the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences. Prior to joining the faculty at UCLA, he served as a sociology professor at the University of Southern California from 1994 to 2001. He received his Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology from UCLA, an M.B.A. from Georgetown University and an A.B. in public relations from USC.

Dr. Gaye Theresa Johnson is a Professor of Black Studies and History and the Director of the Blum Center on Poverty Inequality and Democracy at UC Santa Barbara. She writes and teaches on race and racism, cultural history, spatial politics, and political economy. She is the author of four books that range in topic from a cultural history of Black and Brown freedom seekers in LA; to her 2017 volume Futures of Black Radicalism (which in 2020 was translated into German and Japanese in the wake of the protests for Black Lives); and her latest two books released in 2025: Rings of Dissent on the cultural politics and resistance in boxing, as well as a co-edited volume on right-wing xenophobia and the global practices of sanctuary among immigrants and activists. Johnson has been a visiting researcher at Stanford University’s Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity, as well as at the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is active in numerous community organizations and social justice campaigns, having been Board President of the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), board member for California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, and a co-writer of Ethnic Studies K-8 curriculum in Ventura County. Her proudest achievement is being a mother and a part of the circle of family and friends at the core of her life.

Ash Level is the founder of Altadena Rising, a community-led initiative formed in response to the Eaton Fire. Raised in Altadena and Pasadena, the crisis was deeply personal – and Ash stepped in immediately. What began as rapid response has evolved into a backbone organization for fire recovery and an anchoring force within Altadena for Accountability. Ash also serves on the Eaton Fire Collaborative Long Term Recovery Group and is a member of Dena Rise Up, helping drive coordinated, community-led recovery efforts.

Before the fires, Ash built an award-winning career as a filmmaker, creative director, and community organizer focused on storytelling, social justice, and cultural impact. A graduate of ArtCenter College of Design and a Cannes Lions recipient, Ash brings a cinematic, human-centered approach to complex, real-world narratives. Their work includes a documentary series on sickle cell awareness in partnership with Loma Linda University, as well as leadership at D&AD, where they collaborated with global creatives to advance social impact through creative excellence.

With over 15 years of experience, Ash has helped brands—from Fortune 500 companies to startups—tell meaningful stories while organizing communities around social justice. A lifelong creative working at the intersection of artistry and advocacy, Ash uses storytelling as a tool for both connection and change.

Their approach to community is deeply shaped by personal experience as a caregiver,
grounding the work in empathy, patience, and a lived understanding of grief. This perspective informs how Ash shows up in social justice spaces—recognizing that behind every movement are people navigating loss, transition, and the need for care.

More than a designer or producer, Ash is a connector, collaborator, and catalyst—empowering hundreds of creatives worldwide through workshops, events, and mentorship. At the core of their work is a belief that stories should move people, shift power, and protect what matters. Ash builds at the intersection of care and action, committed to ensuring those most impacted are not waiting for change, but leading it.

Dr. Julissa Muñiz is an assistant professor of education in the School of Education and Information Studies. Her research explores issues of race and racism, power and privilege, institutions and institutional logics, and abolition at the intersections of the U.S. public education, criminal legal and juvenile legal systems. More specifically, Muñiz examines teaching, learning, and identity development in juvenile court schools, with an interest in better understanding how young people live and learn while confined. Most recently, Muñiz was an assistant professor of psychology with affiliation in education and the Visualizing Abolition Program at UC Santa Cruz.

Dr. Muñiz earned her Ed.M. in prevention science and practice from the Harvard Graduate School of Education; her M.A. in human development and social policy from Northwestern University; and her B.A. in ethnic studies from UC Berkeley. Her training and research have been generously supported by the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, Spencer Foundation and the National Academy of Education, Social Science Research Council, and the University of Texas at Austin’s Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. Dr. Muñiz is a first-generation borderlands scholar from San Ysidro, California. In 2021, she founded the San Ysidro Rising Scholar Award, a scholarship and mentorship program that supports first-generation college students from her alma mater, San Ysidro High School. Before entering graduate school, Muñiz was a middle school academic counselor for TRIO Talent Search in Oakland, California, and a GED co-instructor for the Adult Peer Education Project at San Quentin State Prison.

Dr. Brandon Nicholson is a visionary leader in the nonprofit sector. He leads with enthusiasm and has dedicated his career to transforming lives through education, technology, and leadership. He has a remarkable track record of growing a local nonprofit in Oakland, California to seven cities nationally, securing and managing a $15 million annual budget, by leveraging public grants, individual donations, and private sector partnerships, as well as having a global presence in the UK and Africa. As CEO of The Hidden Genius Project, he and his team of innovators, operations, training, and curriculum experts have spearheaded initiatives that have positively impacted thousands of youth of color, particularly young Black males in enhancing college graduation rates and opening doors to rewarding career pathways. Their innovative approach to leveraging technology and entrepreneurship has been instrumental in bridging gaps and fostering inclusive growth. Dr. Nicholson has cracked the code on motivating, engaging, and empowering Black male youth to become the next generation of leaders across industries. He continues to inspire change and empower communities, driving towards a future where education and opportunity are accessible to all.

Dr. Nicholson holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy from UC Berkeley and earned a Bachelor of Arts from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. His many accolades include Ron Brown Scholar, Jefferson Award Winner, and Dr. Marcus Foster Education Institute Warrior for Justice honoree.

Dr. Safiya U. Noble is the David O. Sears Presidential Endowed Chair of Social Sciences and Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is the Director of the Center on Resilience & Digital Justice and Co-Director of the Minderoo Initiative on Tech & Power at UCLA. She currently serves as a Director of the UCLA DataX Initiative, leading work in critical data studies for the campus. Professor Noble is the author of the best-selling book on algorithmic harm in commercial search engines, entitled Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism (NYU Press), which has been widely-reviewed in scholarly and popular publications. In 2021, she was recognized as a MacArthur Foundation Fellow (colloquially known as the “Genius Award”) for her ground-breaking work on algorithmic discrimination and the harms of tech on society.
Dr. Noble is a board member of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, serving those vulnerable to online harassment, and provides expertise to a number of federal, state, local, and international governments, as well as civil and human rights organizations. She is a Research Associate at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford where she is a chartering member of the International Panel on the Information Environment. In 2022, she was recognized as the inaugural NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award recipient.Her academic research focuses on the internet and its impact on society. She is regularly sought out for her expertise on issues of algorithmic harm by national and international press including Rolling Stone, The Guardian, the BBC, CNN International, USA Today, Wired, Time, Vogue, The New York Times, and a host of network news and podcasts. Her popular writing includes critiques on the loss of public goods to Big Tech companies.

Dr. Whitney Pirtle is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA. Dr. Pirtle is trained as a critical race sociologist with interdisciplinary subject area expertise in race, racism, and anti-Blackness; health disparities and health equity; Black feminist sociology and praxis; and mixed methodologies.

Dr. Pirtle, as Director, is rebuilding a research center housed in CHS guided by the mission to use interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks and methods to critically examine the role of race, racism, and related intersections in shaping health disparities. The center’s aim is to work creatively and collectively towards equitable solutions that address social factors as root causes to racialized health disparities, with an emphasis on justice-centered praxis, knowledge production, mentorship, and community engagement. In this capacity, Dr. Pirtle continues to lead the Sociology of Health and Equity (SHE) Lab, which she founded at the University of California, Merced, where she was a faculty member for ten years.

Dr. Pirtle is co-editor, with Dr. Zakiya Luna, of the field-defining volume, Black Feminist Sociology: Perspectives and Praxis (2021), with a second edition slated for release in 2026. Her forthcoming book on race in contemporary South Africa, Coloured-Blind, is expected to be published soon. Dr. Pirtle is also a Co-principal investigator on a National Science Foundation-funded grant that incorporates data innovations from W.E.B. Du Bois into an interdisciplinary learning module.

Dr. Pirtle has garnered international recognition for her contributions to the field, including the MacArthur Foundation Chair in Human Rights and International Justice, the inaugural Equity and Justice Award from the University of California Merced, the A. Wade Smith Award for Teaching, Mentorship, and Service from the Association of Black Sociologists (ABS), and a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship. Throughout her research, as well as her teaching and service to the field and communities, Dr. Pirtle centers equity, inclusion, and justice.

California State Senator Laura Richardson has focused her professional life to public service, rising from grassroots advocacy to historic leadership.

A UCLA graduate with a Degree in Political Science an MBA from USC, and thirteen years advancing at a top Fortune 40 corporate company; she began her career as a legislative staffer on the local, city, state, and federal levels.

In 2000, she was elected to the Long Beach City Council, in 2006 elected to the California State Assembly and in 2007, she was elected to Congress making history as the first Californian to hold elected office at the local, state, and federal levels in the span of less than one year.

As an elected official, Richardson continues to fight for seniors, youth and young adults, workers, safer neighborhoods, California businesses and equal opportunities for all families. Richardson holds a leadership position, serves on the most prestigious committees and recently tied for first as the most bills signed by the Governor in her first year.

State Senator Laura Richardson serves with the purpose to “uplift, empower, and deliver results for those she serves.”

Dr. Rhianna C. Rogers is the Senior Vice President of Research and Programs at the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute (CABWCEI) where she leads the Institute’s statewide research strategy and program portfolio to advance economic mobility, leadership development, and policy innovation for Black women and girls across California.

Dr. Rogers is internationally recognized for translating complex research and emerging technologies into durable strategies that strengthen workforce equity and public trust. She recently served in the Senior Executive Service at the U.S. Department of the Treasury as Counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Management (Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics) and as the Department’s Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Officer. In these roles, she co-authored the Treasury’s first AI and Data Strategy, co-led its Racial Equity Council, and directed enterprise-wide governance for a 100,000-person organization.

Previously, Dr. Rogers was a Director, Senior Policy Researcher, and Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND Corporation, where she oversaw interdisciplinary portfolios spanning technology, infrastructure, and education. An award-winning academic administrator and former tenured associate professor within the State University of New York (SUNY) system, she has delivered keynotes for the United Nations and TEDx. She is also the co-founder of a national nonprofit advancing technical education for historically excluded communities.

Dr. Rogers holds a Ph.D., master’s, and bachelor’s degrees, along with professional certifications in AI fundamentals, responsible technology leadership, and ethical engagement.

Assemblymember Dr. LaShae Sharp-Collins represents the 79th Assembly District, which encompasses parts of southeastern San Diego, El Cajon, La Mesa, and Lemon Grove, as well as the unincorporated communities of Bonita, La Presa, and Spring Valley. Dr. Sharp-Collins attended John F. Kennedy Elementary, Gompers Secondary School, and Lincoln High School. After graduating from Lincoln High School, she attended San Diego State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies, a master’s degree in Education with an emphasis on Multicultural Counseling, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. She later returned to San Diego State University as an adjunct professor in the Department of Africana Studies.

Prior to being elected to the Assembly, Dr. Sharp-Collins served as the Community Engagement Specialist for the San Diego County Office of Education, where she collaborated with 42 school districts and supported over 500,000 students. Her work focused on strengthening curriculums, fostering partnerships, and ensuring that families have access to health screenings, career training, and quality schools.

In her first term in the Assembly, she was appointed the Assistant Majority Leader for Policy and Research, guiding discussions on affordability, California’s response to federal cuts and other major issues facing the state. She served on seven policy committees, including Aging, Budget, Health, Higher Education, Transportation, Military and Veteran Affairs, and Public Safety. To date, she has six bills signed by the Governor and has secured over $100 million in budget funds for the district, ranging from reproductive healthcare to affordable housing.

Dr. Michael Stoll is Professor of Public Policy in the Luskin School of Public Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He serves as a Fellow at the American Institutes for Research, the Brookings Institution, the Institute for Research on Poverty at University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and served as a past Visiting Scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation.

Dr. Stoll’s published work explores questions of poverty, labor markets, migration, and crime. His past work includes an examination of the labor market difficulties of less-skilled workers, in particular the role that racial residential segregation, job location patterns, job skill demands, employer discrimination, job competition, transportation, job information and criminal records play in limiting employment opportunities.

His recent work examines the labor market consequences of mass incarceration and the benefits and costs of the prison boom. A recently completed book, Why Are so Many Americans in Prison, explores the causes of the American prison boom and what to do about it to insure both low crime and incarceration rates.

Much of his work has been featured in a variety of media outlets including NPR, PBS, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Economist, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, and Washington Post, ABC, NBC, CBS, Univision, among other outlets. He also regularly advises the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Labor, as well as for state and local governments in various capacities.

Prof. Stoll received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Tiera Tanksley is a Senior Researcher whose work examines the socioemotional, mental health and academic impacts of digital and artificially intelligent technologies on Black youth. Her work examines anti-Blackness as the “default setting” of schools and school-based technologies, including GenAI chatbots, facial recognition systems, weapons detection systems, and more. Her work simultaneously recognizes Black youth as digital activists and civic agitators, and examines the complex ways they subvert, resist, and rewrite algorithmically biased technologies to produce more-just and joyous digital experiences for Communities of Color across the diaspora. In 2020, Dr. Tanksley founded the Race, Abolition and Artificial Intelligence summer program – a critical science and technology program that prepares young people to have more critical, agentic and algorithmically-conscious relationships with AI and digital tech.

Dr. Tanksley earned her PhD from the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies where Dr. Safiya Noble served as her dissertation advisor and chair of her committee. Since completing her doctorate, she has served as an expert AI research consultant for organizations such as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the National Institute for Mental Health, the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Education Office of Technology, Children and Screens, Digital Promise and Common Sense Media to name a few. In 2023, Dr. Tanksley was awarded the Public Voices in Technology fellowship by the MacArthur Foundation and the Op Ed Project, and was subsequently named one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI. In 2025, she was awarded an AI in Education research grant from the Spencer Foundation, and was featured in a critical AI documentary, Ghost in the Machine, that premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

Tony Thurmond, California’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction, leads the nation’s largest public school system, serving over 5.8 million students across more than 1,000 school districts and 10,000 schools. In addition, he oversees three State Special Schools for deaf and blind students. Since taking office, he has championed historic investments, legislation and initiatives to close achievement gaps and promote access and opportunity for all of California’s students.

Superintendent Thurmond’s leadership shaped by his on-the-ground expertise as an educator and a social worker has served Californians for more than 18 years in elected office. His changemaking approach to policy is also rooted in his lived experience as a child whose family was lifted out of poverty thanks to public assistance and high-quality public education. Previously, he served on the Richmond City Council, the West Contra Costa Unified School Board and in the California State Assembly representing District 15. During his time in the State Assembly, Superintendent Thurmond was an active member of the Legislative Jewish Caucus, the Legislative Black Caucus, and the Latino Legislative Caucus.

In his second term as the leader of California’s education system, Superintendent Thurmond has tripled the amount of per-pupil funding from a decade ago and has focused these investments on transforming California’s publics schools.

With a focus on addressing critical needs, his initiatives include:

• funding community schools, so that California’s public schools serve as resource hubs that support the whole child, whole family and whole community;
• launching universal meal programs to make sure that no child goes hungry at school;
• providing universal TK for all 4-year-olds, so that California’s earliest learners have a strong start; and
• launching a reading by 3rd grade initiative to ensure that adequate attention is given to the foundational development of students’ most foundational academic skill.

To ensure students have access to quality support, he secured funding to recruit 10,000 teachers and counselors. Making ongoing teacher development a priority, he has allocated substantial resources for reading coaches and professional development in math and literacy instruction, empowering educators to excel in the classroom.

Recognizing the importance of real-world experience in shaping students’ futures, Superintendent Thurmond formed public-private partnerships to initiate paid internship and apprenticeship programs and has sponsored legislation to create personal finance and computer science graduation requirements to prepare our students for the jobs of tomorrow.

Superintendent Thurmond’s was born in Monterey, California, to a mother who was a public school teacher and to a father who was serving in the Vietnam War. Following the death of his mother when he was only six years old, Superintendent Thurmond was raised by cousins in Philadelphia who took him in and supported him to understand the value of education as the way to build a strong and stable life. His family relied on public assistance programs and great public schools to get out of poverty. Public school education allowed him to attend Temple University, where he became student body president. He went on to earn dual master’s degrees in law and social policy and social work (MSW) from Bryn Mawr College and began a career dedicated to service.

Kellie Todd Griffin is the President & CEO of the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute (CBWCEI). With more than 25 years of expertise spanning Public Affairs, Community Engagement, Strategy, Marketing, and Communications, she is widely recognized as a master convener—a visionary leader who mobilizes people and policy around issues that matter.

At CBWCEI, Griffin is on a mission to shift the narrative and outcomes for Black women and girls across California. She founded the nation’s first Black Women’s Think Tank, securing $5 million in state funding to fuel transformative policy change. Under her leadership, the Institute leads groundbreaking work, including the State of Black Women in California Reports, which serve as powerful tools for advocacy, education, and action.

Kellie’s impact transcends sectors – from Fortune 500 companies to international nonprofits to statewide political initiatives. Whether serving as a Strategic Advisor for economic development in Solano County or leading communications and community health efforts during the height of COVID-19, she brings a rare mix of strategic insight, heart, and hustle.

She is also the founder of Crenshaw Chick, LLC, a public affairs and strategy firm, and serves on numerous boards, including the International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute, California Black Health Network, NAACP, and the Urban League. She currently holds a seat as a Public Works Commissioner for the City of Carson and is a former LA County Commissioner.

A powerful speaker, published author (Sista Girl @ Work), and trusted thought leader, Kellie uses every platform she’s given to amplify the voices of Black women, shift power, and drive progress. With a degree in journalism and public relations from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a career that includes serving as Communications Director for Congressmember – and now LA Mayor – Karen Bass, she knows how to move both narratives and numbers.

Dr. David Turner is an Assistant Professor of Black Life and Racial Justice in the Department of Social Welfare at the Luskin School of Public Affairs at UCLA. He is also a faculty affiliate with the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, and the associate director of the Million Dollar Hoods Project on campus. As an activist scholar from Inglewood, California, his research broadly focuses on social movements, political identity, and resistance to the prison regime. More specifically, Dr. Turner examines the ways that Black boys and young men work to resist the carceral landscape alongside their peers in community-based educational spaces. He has published numerous articles and book chapters, including manuscripts in the American Educational Research Journal, Theory Into Practice, Abolition: A Journal of Insurgent Politics, The Journal of Research on Adolescence, and others. As a community organizer, Dr. Turner brings over a decade of movement-building experience to the classroom, having worked to negotiate and win demands for racial justice, secure funding, divest resources from carceral and harmful institutions, and coordinate actions across the state of California and the nation, all while teaching at both the K-12 and the postsecondary level.

Dr. Turner worked across LA County with boys and men of color as the manager of the Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition, where he co-led campaigns to change school discipline practices, support investments in youth development, and end policies and practices that lead to criminalization in communities of color. For his commitment to both advocacy-based research and grassroots leadership, Dr. Turner was selected as an inaugural fellow in the John W. Mack Movement Building Fellows Program with the Weingart Foundation and a Data Fellow with the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color and the Tableau Foundation. Dr. Turner currently serves as the senior advisor for the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color.

Dr. Turner has participated in the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) as a political education and research specialist, helping organizations with teach-ins, designing curricula, and community-based participatory action research, most notably as a member of the research team with Black Lives Matter Los Angeles and the People’s Budget, and a co-founding member of the Police-Free LAUSD Coalition. Dr. Turner has been featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education, NBC BLK, the Los Angeles Times, Spectrum 1 News, and the New York Times for his activism and applied scholarship.

Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. was nominated to serve as California Secretary of State by Governor Gavin Newsom on December 22, 2020, and sworn into office on January 29, 2021. Voters elected her for a full term on November 8, 2022, to be California’s first Black Secretary of State and only the fifth African American to serve as a state constitutional officer in California’s 173-year history. Before her appointment as Secretary of State, Secretary Weber served four terms as a California Assembly Member. From 2019 – 2020, she served as chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) where she broke records garnering extraordinary support for the CLBC’s efforts and its projects. Weber’s genuine passion and tireless quest for equality and fairness in all sectors of life have resulted in her pursuit of reforms in education and criminal justice. Her equity-oriented legislation includes school finance and accountability, classroom safety, ethnic studies, reparations, Affirmative Action, and restorative justice, racial profiling, among others. Weber attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she received her BA, MA and PhD by the age of 26. Prior to receiving her doctorate, she became a professor at San Diego State University (SDSU) at the age of 23. She also taught at California State University at Los Angeles (CSULA) and Los Angeles City College before coming to SDSU. She retired from the Department of Africana Studies after 40 years as a faculty member and serving several terms as department chair.