Learn more about the policy areas and social justice inspirations that motivate the diverse, impactful members of the Having Our Say Coalition in 2021 and beyond.
ACCESS Reproductive Justice
Our inspiration:
“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
― Assata Shakur
Policy Area: Reproductive Justice
Asian Resources Inc
Policy Areas:
Data disaggregation
cultural and linguistic health access (including Medi-Cal CHW benefit and Navigator funding for Medi-Cal, Medi-Cal Older Adults 50+ expansion regardless of immigration status and COFA citizens)
oral health access (including outreach, education, and alternative workforce).
Black Women for Wellness
Astrid Williams (she/her)
Environmental Justice Program Manager
My inspiration for social justice:
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
-Alice Walker
Policy Areas: Environmental Justice, Reproductive Justice and Women's Health
California Black Health Network
Eugene Canson (he/him)
Sr. Manager, Policy & Government Affairs
My inspiration for social justice:
“Our only hope for our collective liberation is a politics of deep solidarity rooted in love.”
– Michelle Alexander
Policy Areas: Social determinants of health, racial justice, environmental justice, social justice
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
Joel N Jenkins (he/him)
Community Advocacy Manager (HOS lead)
My inspiration for social justice:
“There’s nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns”
– Octavia E. Butler
Policy Areas: health equity, language justice, mental health
Andrea Rivera (she/her/hers)
Senior Legislative Advocate
My inspiration for social justice:
“Better to die on your feet than live on your knees”
– Emiliano Zapata
Policy Areas: State legislation and advocacy
Weiyu Zhang, MPH (she/her)
Community Advocacy Manager
My inpsiration and gratitude:
Having Our Say is my “happy place”– I love that community partners in this space genuinely want to share, strategize and grow together, and it’s unique and different from any other coalition space I have been in, because we are all experts of our own identities, cultures and issues, yet are constantly finding ways to collectively advance health equity.
Policy Areas: public health, health equity
Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative (CVIIC)
Policy Area: Immigrant Rights
Central Valley Urban Institute
Eric Payne
Executive Director, CVUI
“Dr. King wants the same thing I want. Freedom.”
— Malcolm X
Policy Area: Black Wealth Creation and Prosperity
Korean Community Center of the East Bay (KCCEB)
Yeri Shon (she/her)
Chief, Program Integration and Community Impact
My inspiration for social justice:
“It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act.”
— Dalai Lama, Lhamo Thondup, 14th Dalai Lama, Tibet
Policy Areas: Health equity, immigrant rights, language access and cultural humility
Little Manila Rising
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