The Black Leadership Council (BLC) honored Assemblymembers Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) and Dr. Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) during its annual Legislative Awards Luncheon for their leadership in advancing racial justice, economic opportunity and community investment.
Both members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), Bonta received the Education Equity Champion Award, while Jackson was presented with the Wealth Equity Champion Award.
The luncheon was held June 17 at the Sutter Club in Sacramento following a morning of meetings between BLC members and CLBC senators, assemblymembers and Capitol staff.
“Whenever you’re in the same room and being honored alongside Oakland’s own Mia Bonta, you must be doing something right. One of the things that’s clear is that this nation needs Black leadership more than ever,” Jackson said.
Jackson was recognized for co-authoring legislation that expands economic opportunity, strengthens the social safety net and supports youth and vulnerable communities.
Bonta was honored for establishing the bipartisan California Legislative Children’s Caucus, a bicameral coalition that advocates for investments in childcare, health and education. The caucus promotes evaluating state budgets and public policy through the lens of children’s well-being.
BLC and the CLBC work together to translate community priorities into legislative action. Both lawmakers said the BLC was among the first organizations they met with after taking office.
“The Black Leadership Council has been imprinted in my heart because I first met with you all when I was a first-year legislator and we talked about what we wanted for our children and our families,” Bonta said. “It’s just an incredible honor to receive this award and share this honor with my partner in this work, Dr. Corey Jackson.”
Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins (D-La Mesa) attended the luncheon to celebrate her legislative director, Jerika Edwards, who received the Next Generation Leadership Award. Sharp-Collins credited Edwards with building a distinguished record of civic engagement, public service, voting rights advocacy and social justice leadership.
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 designed 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.”
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.”
