How long have you been a member of the Black Health Network, and what drew you to CBHN? 

One year. I was drawn to the California Black Health Network (CBHN) for its commitment to advancing health equity and improving health outcomes for Black Californians.

What is your current profession? 

Chair of the Board at Transcanwork and Senior Director of The Coalition for Justice and Equality Across Movements at NMAC

From your perspective, what barriers exist in achieving health equity for Black Californians?

From my perspective, the barriers to achieving health equity for Black Californians are deeply interconnected and rooted in both historical inequities and present-day systems. Key barriers include: 

Achieving health equity requires more than expanding healthcare coverage. California must address the social determinants of health, confront racial bias within healthcare institutions, invest directly in Black communities and Black-led organizations, strengthen the diversity of the healthcare workforce, and ensure that Black Californians have meaningful decision-making power in policies and programs affecting their health.

For me, health equity means that a person's race, ZIP code, gender identity, income, or insurance status should never determine whether they have the opportunity to live a healthy and thriving life. 

Both in your work and with CBHN, how have you been able to prioritize the health of Black Californians?  

Both in my professional work and through my engagement with CBHN, I have prioritized the health of Black Californians by centering health equity, community voice, and the lived experiences of people who have historically been underserved by our healthcare systems.

Throughout my career, I have worked at the intersection of HIV, healthcare access, workforce development, racial equity, and LGBTQ+ health. Whether leading nonprofit organizations, working with community partners, or advocating for more equitable systems, I have consistently emphasized that Black communities must be included not simply as recipients of services, but as leaders in designing the solutions that affect our lives.

My work has also taught me the importance of addressing the whole person. Health is connected to stable housing, employment, mental health, food security, culturally responsive healthcare, and the ability to live safely and with dignity. This is particularly important for Black Californians who experience overlapping disparities, including Black women, Black LGBTQ+ people, transgender and gender-diverse people, people living with HIV, and older adults.

Through CBHN, I have been able to contribute to a broader movement focused specifically on improving health outcomes for Black Californians. I believe strongly in CBHN's community-centered approach and in bringing together healthcare leaders, community organizations, advocates, and people with lived experience.

Ultimately, prioritizing Black health means ensuring that Black Californians have a meaningful voice at every table where decisions about our health are being made. It also means moving beyond simply documenting disparities toward investing in community-led solutions that produce measurable improvements in people's lives.

What's the bravest thing you've ever done? 

The bravest thing I have ever done was make the decision to live authentically as myself.

More than 30 years ago, choosing to live openly as a Black transgender woman required courage every single day. I knew that being my authentic self could cost me relationships, employment opportunities, safety, and acceptance. But I also knew that I could not build a meaningful life while hiding who I was.

That decision shaped everything that followed. I experienced rejection and discrimination, but I also discovered my voice, my purpose, and my responsibility to help create opportunities for others.

Over the years, courage has meant walking into rooms where people like me were rarely represented and refusing to become invisible. It has meant leading organizations, advocating for Black and LGBTQ+ communities, speaking about HIV and health inequities, and sometimes challenging institutions to listen to communities they had overlooked.

Today, I understand bravery differently. Being brave does not mean that you are never afraid. It means deciding that your purpose is greater than your fear.

Living authentically gave me the courage to lead authentically. And if my journey makes it a little easier for the next Black transgender woman—or anyone who has ever been told they do not belong—to walk into a room knowing their worth, then every difficult step along the way has had meaning.

What's the best advice you've ever received? 

The best advice I have ever received is: Never allow other people to define who you are or determine what you can become.

That advice has stayed with me throughout my life. As a Black transgender woman, there have been many moments when society tried to place limitations on me—telling me where I belonged, what opportunities were available to me, and how far I could go. I learned that if I accepted other people's limitations, I would never discover my own possibilities.

I chose instead to believe in myself, continue my education, build my career, serve my community, and lead with authenticity and purpose. I also learned that success is not only about how far you rise; it is about reaching back and creating opportunities for others to rise with you.

Today, the advice I pass along is simple: Know your worth, own your story, and never give someone else the power to write the ending for you.