Nikki A. Beasley, executive director of Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, received the Housing Equity Champion Award. Carol F. Burton, a health care, criminal justice and behavioral health executive, received the Health Equity Champion Award. BLC member Joya Chavarin, a California-based education researcher, was presented with the Trailblazer Award.
“The Legislative Awards Luncheon offers a valuable opportunity to recognize impactful legislators, their staff, and community leaders,” said Meron Agonafer, a member of the BLC Executive Committee. “The BLC has great potential to continue advancing policies and legislative initiatives that uplift Black communities, and I am excited and look forward to the future.”
Established by PRC, formerly the Positive Resource Center, the BLC is a statewide coalition dedicated to advancing policy and systems change in education, housing, health and justice. Its overarching mission is to achieve “Black prosperity” through statewide advocacy and public policy.
“For too long, Black communities have been asked to survive systems that were never designe
d with our well-being in mind,” said Tasha Henneman, PRC’s chief of policy and government affairs. “Our advocacy is about shifting from scarcity and crisis management toward investment, prevention, and repair. Community reinvestment means putting resources where harm has been greatest and where the potential for healing is strongest.”
Asm. Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), right, received the Wealth Equity Champion Award from CalVoices and the Black Leadership Council (BLC) in Sacramento on June 17. The award recognizes his commitment to combating poverty, supporting working-class communities, and advancing economic equity across California. It was presented by Meron Agonafer, left, CalVoices’ policy director. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.
The BLC supports a broad package of legislation focused on health, voting rights and economic equity.
Among its priorities is Jackson’s Assembly Bill 96, which removes the high school diploma or equivalent requirement for individuals seeking certification as Medi-Cal Certified Peer Support Specialists.
The organization also backs Sharp-Collins’ Assembly Bill (AB)1324, which expands CalWORKs eligibility for low-income working families by changing how the state calculates welfare benefits, and AB1433, which revises funding rules for community college noncredit programs.
Bonta’s AB 225 and AB 801 also have the BLC’s support. AB 225 would prohibit unnecessary facility fees that contribute to surprise medical bills, while AB 801 strengthens protections against discriminatory lending by expanding community reinvestment requirements to additional financial institutions.
The council also endorses Sen. Sabrina Cervantes’ (D-Riverside) Senate Bill 1164 and Senate Bill 1360, a legislative package that would modernize and strengthen the California Voting Rights Act.
Beyond legislation, the BLC advocates for state funding to support the Stop the Hate Program and the California Civic Media Fund.
“The council targets a high volume of legislation,” said Dr. Deborah Hawkes, PRC’s chief executive officer, who oversees the BLC’s statewide strategy and community initiatives.
“Freedom means opportunities. It means access to quality education, stable housing, good health, economic security, and the ability for every person to thrive,” Hawkes said. “That work requires investments, it requires leaders who are willing to speak up, organizations that are going to do the work, and partners who are willing to sustain the movement.”
