The Ella Baker Center for human rights has been a beacon of racial and criminal justice work in the Bay Area for decades. Named after civil rights icon Ella Baker. It was founded by Van Jones in 1996 and since then has been at the forefront of issues that affect communities of color- like criminal justice reform. The center has a new executive director, long time community organizer Marlene Sanchez. She has led many programs that help girls, youth and formerly incarcerated people. And for Sanchez, it’s personal. She’s not only the first woman of color in this position, but also the first person who has been incarcerated.
This interview was produced by Johanna Miyaki
