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San Jose Spotlight: 15 of the Most Influential Black Leaders in Silicon Valley

Local Black leaders are working to change the odds and boost equality for the community. In celebration of Black History Month, San Jose Spotlight is highlighting 15 of the most influential Black leaders in Silicon Valley.

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Black residents make up about 3% of Santa Clara County’s population, but the impact of Black leaders on the region is undeniable — even while facing adversity.
Black residents make up about 3% of Santa Clara County’s population, but the impact of Black leaders on the region is undeniable — even while facing adversity.

By Loan-Anh Pham, San Jose Spotlight

Black residents make up about 3% of Santa Clara County’s population, but the impact of Black leaders on the region is undeniable — even while facing adversity.

The Black community in Silicon Valley and across the nation face systemic disparities: The population is overrepresented among the homeless and historical housing segregation has resulted in lower rates of Black homeownership.

Data from the 2022 Silicon Valley Pain Index shows the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected Black residents in terms of income and poverty levels, and Black students face higher levels of suspensions compared to white counterparts.

These trends have resulted in what leaders call a “Black exodus” as residents flee pricey Silicon Valley or face displacement.

But there’s hope. Local Black leaders are working to change the odds and boost equality for the community. In celebration of Black History Month, San Jose Spotlight is highlighting 15 of the most influential Black leaders in Silicon Valley.

While this isn’t an exhaustive list of all the tremendous Black leaders in our region, these individuals have broken barriers, shattered stereotypes and inspired change in Silicon Valley.

Here they are in alphabetical order by first name.

Ahmad Thomas

Ahmad Thomas broke barriers in August 2020 when he became the first Black man to lead the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a powerful trade association of prominent businesses and tech giants.

Right off the bat, Thomas got to work on improving Silicon Valley’s economic vitality, while also prioritizing diversity and equity in business. He advocated for more racial equity in Silicon Valley by helping member companies hire more minority candidates and funding more Black- and Latinx-owned startups.

Prior to joining SVLG, Thomas worked as an investment banker for Barclays. Thomas also worked as a senior aide to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Alma Burrell

Eliminating health disparities in underserved communities has been Alma Burrell’s calling. After managing health programs for children for 20 years, Burrell joined Roots Community Health Center as its chief administrative officer. The nonprofit health organization is committed to serving marginalized and underserved communities in San Jose.

She is a leading expert on the need for African-centered medical care and spent 18 years working with the Black Infant Health program in Santa Clara County, which is aimed at improving the wellbeing of pregnant women and their babies.

Black mothers in the U.S. are about three times more likely than white mothers to die from childbirth-related causes, according to the CDC. “I love my people and I want to see healthy babies,” she told LAist.

Andre Chapman

While working in tech in the 1990s, Andre Chapman was disheartened by the lack of minorities in the field. He personally witnessed the unsettling tale of two Silicon Valleys — the haves and have nots. He left his lucrative tech job — a move questioned by some — and decided to do something about it.

Chapman founded The Unity Care Group in 1993 to develop educational and social programs to enrich the lives of disadvantaged underserved youth. Now he works to improve the foster youth system through mental health and criminal justice reform and has helped thousands of families.

Chapman is a national expert on creating culturally proficient services and a recipient of San Jose State University’s Evelyn T. Robinson Outstanding African American Alumnus award.

Forrest Williams

During his 16 years in public office, Forrest Williams prioritized equitable education and access to public services, working to build multiple community centers and libraries. He said education is a priority for Black residents and future generations.

Williams a former San Jose councilmember and Oak Grove School District Board member who spent 35 years as an IBM engineer.

The county’s Black students face higher levels of suspensions, lower test scores and less mental health support. Williams said increasing equity in education requires community involvement from parents, students and leaders.

“You’ve got to take an active role in the educational system… that will make a significant difference,” Williams told San Jose Spotlight. “Kids (are) the objects of the future.”

Iola Williams

The late Iola Williams made history as San Jose’s first Black councilmember in 1979 and went on to serve for 12 years, including two terms as vice mayor. She was a pivotal leader and advocate for civil and LGBTQ rights.

Williams was a major supporter of the shift to district elections in San Jose — which allowed for the election of more diverse policymakers — and an advocate for neighborhoods.

Williams received the African American Community Service Agency’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which was renamed after her, in 2016. She died at age 83 in 2019 after losing a battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Rev. Jeff Moore II

Rev. Jeff Moore II said visibility and meaningful representation for the region’s Black community is the first step.

Moore is former president of the San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP and is a longtime community activist whose work revolves around education, homelessness and oversight on police departments. A tireless champion for civil rights, Moore said Black representation is vital — from corporate leadership to classrooms.

“Our diversity is so rich and so great, but yet, the Black voice, there’s nobody advocating for it,” Moore told San Jose Spotlight. “That’s one of the biggest things: who is that champion that we can go to?”

LaDoris Cordell

LaDoris Cordell made history as Northern California’s first Black female judge and served in Santa Clara County for 20 years, from 1982-2001.

In addition to devoting her legal career to creating justice for minorities and low-income people, Cordell is an author, artist, vocalist and pianist. She is also a member of the LGBTQ community and a mother to two daughters.

In, 2021, Cordell published “Her Honor,” a book that explored the broken criminal justice system and how to fix it. She also served as a Palo Alto councilmember and San Jose independent police auditor.

“The number of African Americans who reside in Santa Clara County and throughout Silicon Valley continues to drop… My concern is that the contributions of this area’s Black residents will fade from the public memory,” Cordell told San Jose Spotlight. “Even though our population is small, racial profiling of African Americans continues unabated.”

Milan Balinton

Milan Balinton, the executive director of the African American Community Service Agency, confronted more than one barrier growing up. Facing a learning disorder and growing up in poverty, Balinton decided to dedicate himself to public service and education — fighting for those who are voiceless.

He learned advocacy from a young age when his grandmother introduced him to the NAACP and urged him to “give back to the community, for many have sacrificed so that we could be free, and you must do the same.”‍ Those words still guide him today.

Balinton is also a trustee on the Franklin-McKinley School Board and is involved with the Black Leadership Kitchen Cabinet. He was the 2016 winner of Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 People’s Choice Award.

Nicole Taylor

Nicole Taylor is the CEO of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the largest charitable foundation in the United States.

Taylor joined the foundation at a critical moment: It had just lost its former CEO amid a scandal that involved misconduct by top leadership. Taylor jumped in headfirst to restore trust and rebuild values at the power philanthropic organization. She met with nonprofit partners to learn more how the foundation can open doors for marginalized communities.

Taylor herself is no stranger to hardship. She’s the daughter of an immigrant mother who came to the U.S. without an education and went on to become an educator in Oakland’s public school system. Her previous roles include serving as Stanford University’s dean of community engagement and diversity and CEO of the East Bay Community Foundation.

Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins

Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins is a social justice advocate, businesswoman and community organizer. She started her career as a union organizer in San Jose and became the executive officer of the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council in 2003 at the age of 26, which boasts 110 unions and more than 100,000 members.

She left the post in 2009 to lead D.C.-based Green For All, an anti-poverty organization founded by national news personality Van Jones. Currently, she serves as co-founder and CEO of Promise, a company reworking the bail system.

San Jose Magazine named Ellis-Lamkins one of the 100 most powerful people in Silicon Valley. She was recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and one of the 25 most Powerful Americans by Ebony Magazine.

Regina Celestin Williams  

Regina Williams grew up in low-income housing in Richmond. She knows firsthand the importance of affordable, stable and safe housing for all — and now she’s working to ensure others have it. In 2021, Williams became the executive director of Silicon Valley at Home, a nonprofit that advocates for policies to increase the supply of affordable housing.

Williams was inspired by a “transformative” affordable housing class at Stanford, prompting her to pivot from engineering and making it her life’s goal to advance the housing movement. She previously served as the director of housing development for First Community Housing. In 2019, Williams was named one of the area’s 40 Under 40 by the Silicon Valley Business Journal.

Her husband, Jahmal, is also a respected community leader. He is the co-chair of the Black Leadership Kitchen Cabinet and San Jose State University’s director of advocacy for racial justice.

Rick Callender

Three years ago, Rick Callender broke barriers by becoming the first Black man to lead the Santa Clara Valley Water District — the area’s largest water supplier. It was a dream for a man who worked his way up the ranks at the organization since 1996.

Callender, an attorney and longtime community leader, serves as president of the California-Hawaii chapter of the NAACP. In that role, he helps oversee 74 branches and youth units of the association to help ensure racial justice and equality.

“When fighting for justice, it’s important to remember that it’s both a marathon and a sprint at the same time,” he told California Black Media.

Ricks mother, Norma Callender was, also a civil rights leader in the San Jose community.

Rosalyn Hughey

Rosalynn Hughey broke barriers both in a development industry dominated by men — as well as racial barriers by becoming the first Black city department head in San Jose in 2021. Today, she serves as a deputy city manager in America’s 10th largest city.

Hughey, who previously ran the city’s massive planning department, grew up watching her dad — a contractor — build homes from the ground up. While juggling one of the hardest jobs at San Jose City Hall, Hughey worked to address citywide injustices and focus on improving neighborhoods. She’s spent more than three decades as an urban planner in a field often dominated by white men. Hughey is also credited with kickstarting conversations about race and equity within the city.

Tony Alexander

Tony Alexander is no stranger to San Jose politics. He served as a leader in San Jose’s labor movement spanning decades with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, leading its minority coalition. An East San Jose product, he served on the Alum Rock Union School Board and was appointed and reelected to the San Jose Evergreen Community College Board last year. He also started his own political consulting venture, JW Consulting in 2015.

Alexander is the president of the Silicon Valley African American Democratic Coalition and past president of the San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP.

His wife, Linda Stuckey-Alexander, has also been a force in local politics and leads Democratic Activists of Women Now (DAWN) and his parents, Charles “Chuck” and Saphrona Alexander, were longtime community activists in San Jose.

Walter Wilson

Walter Wilson, a partner of the Silicon Valley Minority Business Consortium, has for years fought for equal treatment of Black and minority-owned businesses.

He believes stopping displacement of Black residents in San Jose requires creating economic resources for small businesses and communities. Wilson is a project manager for the Silicon Valley African American Cultural Center Project, which provides health services, retail options, housing and cultural representation to the county’s Black community.

“Without economic opportunity and economic growth, you can’t build your household,” Wilson told San Jose Spotlight. “You can’t build your community and you definitely won’t have the opportunities for your kids to do better.”

Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Activism

Over 500 Join Interfaith Rally in Solidarity with Los Angeles Resistance to Trump Invasion

Over 500 people attended the Tuesday evening rally in Oakland, which was held simultaneously with a prayer vigil in Los Angeles, where rabbis, pastors, Muslim faith leaders, and indigenous spiritual leaders gathered to pray and speak out about the federal government’s abuses of power.

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Hundreds gathered at Fruitvale Plaza in Oakland on June 10 in solidarity with immigrants and opposed to Trump’s use of armed federal agents in Los Angeles. Photo by Beth LaBerge/KQED.
Hundreds gathered at Fruitvale Plaza in Oakland on June 10 in solidarity with immigrants and opposed to Trump’s use of armed federal agents in Los Angeles. Photo by Beth LaBerge/KQED.

By Post Staff

n response to last week’s “invasion” of Los Angeles by armed and masked federal agents, East Bay faith leaders and community members, joined by Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, held an Interfaith vigil Tuesday evening at Oakland’s Fruitvale Plaza in support of Los Angeles residents and immigrant communities across the country.

Over 500 people attended the Tuesday evening rally in Oakland, which was held simultaneously with a prayer vigil in Los Angeles, where rabbis, pastors, Muslim faith leaders, and indigenous spiritual leaders gathered to pray and speak out about the federal government’s abuses of power.

Earlier on the same day, hundreds of protesters at San Francisco and Concord immigration courts shut down the courts after masked, plainclothes federal ICE agents detained people seeking asylum attending their court hearings.

“Too many families in Los Angeles torn apart by this invasion still do not have access to a lawyer — and that’s not an accident. We, the people, the community, are here to say, ‘Enough!’ We must keep organizing and demand that ICE and our government respect the rights of all people and uphold the principle of due process,” said Andrés Pomart with Trabajadores Unidos Workers United.

“We know that when we organize, we win. That’s why our communities – Black, Brown, and working-class – are coming together to support each other in solidarity. Together, as immigrant communities and as a united working class, we will not be divided nor intimidated nor live in fear,” Pomart said.

“Immigrant communities — yes, our immigrant communities — are the heartbeat of Oakland, enriching our neighborhoods with diverse cultures, languages and experience, and deserve the quality of life that every human being deserves. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.  “Your city remains committed to protecting our immigrant neighbors,” said Mayor Lee.

“When Trump’s armed goons come for our families and communities, when they trample on our shared values of freedom and opportunity, when they make a mockery of our rights to due process, we are called to step up for our neighbors,” said Supervisor Bas. “This is not just an immigration story. It’s a story about who we are — and how we respond when our neighbors are under attack and when the president of the United States abuses his powers. When they come for one of us, they come for all of us.”

Said Kampala Taiz-Rancifer, the Oakland teachers’ union president, “It is time for us to say, ‘Not in our city.’ We will stop, we will block, we will drive out ICE. We will protect our classrooms. We will protect our streets. We will protect our homes. Together, we rise for the dignity of our families and our right to live without fear.”

“I feel that the president and the current administration is grossly overstepping and abusing their power,” Rabbi Chai Levy, speaking to KQED. “I feel that, as a religious person, communities of faith need to show up and stand in solidarity with immigrants who are threatened and afraid. “It’s important to show up as people of conscience and morality and say that we’re against what our government is doing.”

The vigil was hosted by Bay Resistance, and co-sponsoring organizations included the Alameda Labor Council, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Faith in Action East Bay, Restore Oakland, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE), Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Oakland Rising, Faith Alliance for a Moral Economy, SEIU Local 1021, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), SEIU United Service Workers West, Jewish Voice for Peace Bay Area, Jobs with Justice San Francisco, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, Urban Peace Movement, and Trabajadores Unidos Workers United.

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Activism

Oak Temple Hill Hosts Interfaith Leaders from Across the Bay Area

Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for individuals and communities in need. 

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Troy McCombs (from the state of Washington), Elder Mark Mortensen (from Irvine, CA), Michael Pappas, Rev. Ken Chambers, Dr. Ejaz Naqvi, Elder Sigfried Nauman (from the state of Washington), and Richard Kopf. Courtesy photo.
Troy McCombs (from the state of Washington), Elder Mark Mortensen (from Irvine, CA), Michael Pappas, Rev. Ken Chambers, Dr. Ejaz Naqvi, Elder Sigfried Nauman (from the state of Washington), and Richard Kopf. Courtesy photo.

Special to the Post

Interfaith leaders from the Bay Area participated in a panel discussion at the annual meeting of communication leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held on Temple Hill in Oakland on May 31. Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for individuals and communities in need.

Chambers, said he is thankful for the leadership and support of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints’ global ministry, which recently worked with the interfaith congregations of ICAC to help Yasjmine Oeveraas a homeless Norwegian mother and her family find shelter and access to government services.

Oeveraas told the story of how she was assisted by ICAC to the Oakland Post. “I’m a Norwegian citizen who escaped an abusive marriage with nowhere to go. We’ve been homeless in Florida since January 2024. Recently, we came to California for my son’s passport, but my plan to drive for Uber fell through, leaving us homeless again. Through 2-1-1, I was connected to Rev. Ken Chambers, pastor of the West Side Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County, and his car park program, which changed our lives. We spent about a week-and-a-half living in our car before being blessed with a trailer. After four years of uncertainty and 18 months of homelessness, this program has given us stability and hope again.

“Now, both my son and I have the opportunity to continue our education. I’m pursuing cyber analytics, something I couldn’t do while living in the car. My son can also complete his education, which is a huge relief. This program has given us the space to focus and regain our dignity. I am working harder than ever to reach my goals and give back to others in need.”

Richard Kopf, communication director for The Church of Jesus Christ in the Bay Area stated: “As followers of Jesus Christ, we embrace interfaith cooperation and are united in our efforts to show God’s love for all of his children.”

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Activism

Learning Life’s Lessons

Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband.  He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.

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Richard Johnson and son Fati. Courtesy photo.
Richard Johnson and son Fati. Courtesy photo.

“California’s three-strike laws gave me 2 life sentences for drug possession. After serving 28 years, mostly in solitary confinement, I am free to lead a movement to get the formerly incarcerated to give back.”

 By Richard Johnson

I have written this book in hopes of being able to help others from not traveling down the path that leads to imprisonment or a cemetery.  At the very beginning of writing this book, it began as a message to my son Fati Yero Gaidi, who was only two years old at the time that I was given two life sentences in prison for drug possession, under the newly implemented three-strikes-you-out law. The more that I wrote, the book began to evolve beyond its intended purpose for my son; it became something that any and everyone could utilize on their separate journeys through life challenges that we encounter. The book helped me put my thoughts, reasoning, perceptions, and views on display, while opening doors that, for the most part, were closed. The book can be purchased via Amazon. Learning life lessons.

About the Author

By Post staff

Richard “Razor” Johnson, 74, is a man whose life journey is marked by hard-earned wisdom, redemption, and an unshakable commitment to guiding the next generation. Once sentenced to life under California’s Three Strikes Law, he was released through what he calls nothing short of divine intervention.  His time behind bars, particularly in Pelican Bay State Prison, gave him a new raw and unfiltered understanding of life’s hardest truths.

With the realization that time is precious and the future is shaped by the lessons we learn, Richard writes with urgency and purpose. His book—a 300-page labor of love—is dedicated to young men who may not have a father to teach them the meaning of life’s most important words. Through definitions filled with wisdom, experience, and deep personal insight, he offers direction to those who find themselves lost, just as he once was.

Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband.  He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.

His words are not just lessons; they are a call to action.  He hopes that by investing in young minds with wisdom and insight, they will be better equipped to navigate life’s trials, learn from their mistakes, and find their path to success. Richard “Razor” Johnson writes not just to be heard, but to help – because he knows firsthand that sometimes guidance can make all the difference.

Post publishers Paul and Gay Cobb visited Johnson in San Quentin and attended his graduation while he was in prison. He became a columnist with the Post News Group and has continued his advocacy for the formerly incarcerated by urging them to “give something back”. Johnson says he will be speaking at prisons, colleges, and media outlets to help organize voter registration and community service projects.

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