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  The Legacy of Gloria Steinem Today, we lost a giant! Gloria Steinem has taken her rest. Although, I did not call myself a feminist, I believed in every right the word was supposed to protect. I believed Black women deserved equal pay, safety inside our own homes, authority over our own bodies, and a seat at every table where decisions about our lives were being made. I couldn ’ t attach myself to a movement that often asked me to leave part s of myself at the door. The word feminist felt like an invitation into a house where I would always be a guest - but not a permanent resident. My hesitation wasn ’ t stubbornness ; it was based on feminism being presented as a movement built around the concerns of middle-class white women. Black women have always faced e mployment discrimination, racial violence, poverty, lack of childcare, involuntary sterilization, housing insecurity, and I distanced myself from the label of femin is t because these issues were not always treate...
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Si Se Puede - Dolores!

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  Dolores Huerta spent a lifetime helping improve conditions for farm workers, immigrants, and women, and a movement made her feel obligated to hide her truth for 60 years.  Today is a sad day for many of us to hear in our shero's own words,  how she felt she needed to stay silent about what happened to her while yelling out to the world about the injustices that farm workers were experiencing.  Today, I am left wondering - how many women have suffered in silence after they were sexually assaulted to advance the Civil Rights Movement and/or the Labor Movement? I think about the women from the #MeToo movement. I think about all the young men and women who have worked so hard to advance a movement on behalf of their community, who were taken advantage of and coerced to be silent, or chose to be silent "for the greater good of the movement." I am thinking of all of those people today. I am thinking of Dolores today. Sadly, I am also thinking of myself and the choice tha...
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Why the Legacy of Early Gynecology Still Shapes Black Maternal Health Today

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On February 5, 2026, I once again had the pleasure of hearing artist and community organizer Michelle Browder at GLIDE in San Francisco, CA. It had been two years since I visited her at the Mothers of Gynecology memorial and museum that she created in Montgomery, Alabama, and her message was still loud and clear.  When people discuss the history of modern gynecology, the conversation often centers on medical breakthroughs and scientific advancements. What is rarely discussed with equal weight is the human cost of that progress - specifically, the suffering endured by three enslaved Black women whose bodies were used to build the foundation of modern reproductive medicine.  The Mothers of Gynecology Memorial and Museum stands just six blocks away from the den of horrors where Anarca, Betsey, and Lucy were subjects of Dr. J. Marian Sims’ experiments.  This physical reminder shows us that progress in medicine has too often been built on the exploitation of Blacks, systemic r...
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On the Heels of Super Bowl LX: What Wasn’t Seen

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  As millions across the country celebrated Super Bowl LX, another reality unfolded quietly in homes and communities nationwide. While fans gathered around screens and stadiums, many survivors of domestic violence faced heightened risks, isolation, and harm. Major sporting events can amplify stress, alcohol use, and economic pressures, factors that often contribute to increased rates of intimate partner violence. In San Francisco, Black Women Revolt Against Domestic Violence continues to stand on the front lines, ensuring that survivors, particularly Black women and marginalized communities, have access to safety, advocacy, and healing-centered support. Domestic Violence: A Hidden Crisis Research shows that domestic violence incidents can rise during major sporting events. A peer-reviewed study found that male-on-female violence increases by more than 10% following unexpected NFL losses, especially in states with widespread sports betting. In addition, national data reveals tha...
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What It Means to Be an Advocate

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  I am honored. Truly honored. I am honored to do this work on behalf of domestic violence survivors. I am honored to advocate in my city and my state for people navigating domestic violence - often in silence, often in fear, and too often without the protection they so rightly deserve. Recently, I was informed that I had been selected to be honored on the floor of the California State Assembly as the Woman of the Year for the 19th District. The recognition, presented by Assemblywoman Catherine Stefanie and her staff, stopped me in my tracks. Shocked doesn’t quite capture it. Grateful doesn’t go far enough. What it did do, though, was force me to pause and ask a much deeper question: What does it actually mean to be an advocate? And why do I do this work day after day, year after year, despite the toll it takes? The answer is both simple and complex. I do this work because I am trying to be the advocate my two friends needed before they were killed by their partners. I do this ...
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