At just 16 years old, I led the creation of a pivotal social justice initiative in partnership with local politician Shay Franco-Clausen. I was motivated to foster change and enhance community engagement in San Jose and the broader Santa Clara County, I co-founded the South Bay Black Coalition. Our inaugural project was organizing a Juneteenth March, an event that aimed to celebrate freedom and push for substantial social justice reforms.

The Juneteenth March was a celebration and a powerful platform for advocacy and community solidarity. In orchestrating this event, I took on the responsibilities of planning, coordinating with city officials, securing permits, and managing public relations efforts to ensure the march was both impactful and safe.

Our efforts resulted in a successful event that drew thousands of participants from across the Bay Area, as highlighted in the San Jose Mercury News article titled "Still on the long road to freedom, thousands celebrate Juneteenth across the Bay Area". The march not only served as a celebration of Juneteenth but also as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for civil rights and equity.

In addition to the march, we facilitated community discussions with members of the Santa Clara County Police Department to address public safety concerns and advocate for transparent policing practices. These discussions took place over the course of a year at schools and Shay Franco-Clausen’s home, where we also held hot-topic discussions that allowed community members to engage directly with law enforcement leaders. These meeetings were instrumental in building relationships in the community and fostering a dialogue centered on trust, accountability, and the pursuit of equitable treatment by community institutions.

This project was instrumental in shaping my understanding of the power of community mobilization and the importance of civic engagement. It also developed my skills in event planning, stakeholder engagement, and media communication, which have been invaluable in other aspects of my career. Through this initiative, I learned that even at a young age, significant change can happen at any level and have a lasting impact on their community.