FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Marisol Bello, mbello@communitychange.org

The Center for Community Change Launches Leadership Program for Women of Color

Washington, D.C. – The Center for Community Change is excited to announce the launch of Power 50, a new leadership program for women of color within CCC’s network of partner organizations. This new program is built to uplift the leadership of the very people who understand injustice and how best to address it because they have lived it.

Many organizations across the progressive movement fail to create opportunities or clear models for women of color in particular to have a significant voice in shaping our political agenda or access to the resources for moving that agenda. At CCC, we believe that people with lived experience should have powerful voices to create the change necessary for all of us to thrive.  We designed the Power 50 program to give women of color a place where they can further develop those voices. The program, which builds on training frameworks developed by CCC staff members Aida Cuadrado and Dr. Charlene Sinclair around formerly incarcerated women of color, provides the tools and networks that allow participants to grow as leaders in a way that centers personal and community transformation. Others deeply involved in the design of the program include current and former CCC staff members Ronnie Galvin, Jaimie Worker, Wendoly Marte, Grecia Lima, and Deirdra Reed along with consultants Viveka Chen and Zuri Murphy.

“Embracing the leadership of women of color is absolutely vital to the success of CCC’s Path to Power,” says Trish Tchume, CCC’s Director of Leadership Development. “So I’m incredibly proud to have this program deepen and build upon the important leadership development we offer women of color via our campaigns.  We’ve built a program that gives women of color leaders the space, relationships, and tools they need to tap into their strategic imagination while remaining grounded in purpose. It’s essentially the program that I – and so many of my peers, frankly – really could have benefited from at different points in my career.  So it’s humbling and satisfying to be able to offer this as a resource to our partners in the field.”

The first class of Power 50 participants are:

• Alicia Hurle, Deputy Organizing Director for Democracy, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth(KFTC) (KY)
• Ana Rodriguez, Colorado Peoples Alliance (CO)
• Arleen Vargas, Lead Organizer, Washington Interfaith Network (DC)
• Celeste Arredondo-Peterson, Texas Organizing Project (TX)
• Eboni Taylor, Canvas Director, Mothering Justice (MI)
• Erica Clemmons, State Director, 9 to 5 (GA)
• Janay Reliford-Davis, Communities Creating Opportunity (MO)
• Jennifer Wells, Director, Youth Leadership and Development Young WV/Our Children Our Future Campaign WV Healthy Kids and Families Coalition, West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families Coalition (WV)
• Laura Martin, Associate Director, PLAN, Nevada (NV)
• Roxana Norouzi, Deputy Director, OneAmerica (WA)
• Shanae’ Holman, Lead Organizer, Topeka Justice Unity Ministry Project (JUMP) (KS)
• Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, National Field Organizer, Dignity in Schools Campaign/Co-Founder, Racial Justice NOW!

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