For 25 years, the Ella Baker Center has organized with families and communities to achieve our shared vision of safety and justice. Since our founding in 1996, we have galvanized real, tangible changes in Oakland and across California, leading transformative campaigns to end police brutality, close youth prisons, advance visionary policies, and increase investments in safety, healing, and prosperity for Black, Brown, and low-income communities.
Voices from the Front Lines
“Give light and people will find the way.”
Ella Baker
In communities and neighborhoods, inside prisons, and from families across California, the incredible people who fight for justice are shining a powerful light that kindles courage in us all. They bring fierce love, fruitful imagination, and important lived experience to pave the way. These voices are the heart of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights.
Gary Roberson
Gary Roberson
“The Ella Baker Center played a critical role in winning my freedom, and I am so appreciative of the dogged determination and brilliance of their team. They shared the pathway and tools that allow me to celebrate this fall – and every fall for the rest of my life – surrounded by my family.”
We reached out to Gary when he was recommended for sentencing relief and helped him prepare for his trial. He was released last year and is now organizing resources with us.
Thanh Tran
Thanh Tran
“I’m being provided with educational materials about legislation, it’s helping me build relationships with people within the work, and it’s one on one conversations about what this work means and envisioning a new justice system.”
Thanh has been supporting our policy work from inside San Quentin prison since March 2019. Now he joins the policy team as the Inside Fellow of the Inside/Outside Fellowship that resources and trains system-impacted fellows to determine our policy priorities and lead grassroots organizing and awareness efforts.
Nwamaka Agbo
Nwamaka Agbo
“One of the things I so deeply appreciate about the Ella Baker Center is that the organization invested in and supported my leadership as a young Black female organizer and leader.”
From 2007-2013, Nwamaka held in a number of different positions at EBC, including Campaign Director for Soul of the City, Policy Director for the Green Collar Jobs Campaign, and Deputy Director. She is now the CEO of the Kataly Foundation and Managing Director of the Restorative Economies Fund (REF).
Tariq Faulk
Tariq Faulk
“I had a sentence of 67-years-to-life before Proposition 57, and I have you to thank in getting that passed. Without amazing organizations like yours, I would still be sitting in this cell.I am also thankful for the sense of humanity that I have personally felt from the EBC team. I will never forget the inspiration that I always felt being in the presence of Emily. I felt like I was sitting with an advocate warrior whose spirit demanded that I not give up hope, that I harness my value and bring it to the fight.”
While Tariq was incarcerated at San Quentin prison, he helped EBC advocate for the passage of Prop 57, which allows for people with nonviolent felonies to be considered for parole. Because of Prop 57, he was released last year and is still organizing with us.
Barbara Doss
Barbara Doss
“I wouldn’t have known what to do, how to fight, and they made me the strong person I am today. The Ella Baker Center, I call them my family because they’ve been there for me.”
In 2018, Barbara’s son, Dujuan Armstrong, died in Santa Rita jail while serving weekends. When the Alameda County sheriff ignored Barbara’s demand for answers about how her son died, we joined her fight for justice.
Michael Makey
Michael Mackey
“While incarcerated, people see us but do not hear us. Now that I’m a part of Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, watch me, Michael Mackey, and my legion of friends achieve the unachievable.”
Michael organized with us from San Quentin to pass Senate Bill 136, which repealed the sentence enhancement that added one year for each previous prison or felony jail term.