The YWCA is set to hold its 19th annual Women for Racial Justice Breakfast on Wednesday, where people in Pasadena come together in an effort to bridge racial and gender gaps within the community.
Tara Peterson, CEO of YWCA Pasadena and Glendale said this year’s Women for Racial Justice Breakfast event with the theme “Truth, Healing and Transformation,” will be held this October 20 from 9:00 am until 10 a.m. The event will be held virtually.
“We shaped this year’s events around the theme ‘truth, healing, and transformation’ because we know that the last two years has been a very challenging year for our community,” Peterson said, continuing to observe that the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened inequality, gender-based violence and racial injustice.
Peterson expressed hopes the breakfast will be an opportunity for the community to reflect on the past and think about healing and transformation, both individually and collectively.
This year’s YWCA breakfast will feature a keynote speech from poet and civil rights activist Nikki Giovanni, perhaps the best-known African American poet alive to day. The event will be emceed by Emmy Award Winning News Anchor, KTLA’s Cher Calvin.
Outstanding women in the community will bed honored: namely Pasadenan Juliana Serrano, Vice President of Advocacy and Equity of Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley and Member of the Pasadena Police Chief’s Community Advisory Committee; Angeline Chen, Immigration Attorney and Co-Founder of Rise to Reunite; and Congresswoman Karen Bass of the 37th Congressional District will be awarded during the event for their efforts on advancing racial justice.
Peterson said Chen, former member of the YWCA Board, conceived the merger agreement between the YWCA Glendale and the YWCA Pasadena.
Chen is being honored for her work in immigation.
“She spent so much of her time on the frontlines driving to the border, helping women in need and helping immigrant women in need directly.”
According to Peterson, Serrano will be awarded as she played an instrumental role in advocating for Pasadena’s first Community Police Oversight Commission and for her work on advancing reproductive rights, policing reform and social justice while Bass will be awarded for the bills she introduced on racial justice in the state of California and in LA county.
NAACP Pasadena branch, which Peterson described as “critical partner” in advancing racial justice, is also among the awardees for this year.
“For over 102 years, the NAACP Pasadena branch has been working to advance economic development, education, housing, and legal issues, and civil and human rights compliance to improve the quality life of African-Americans in our community,” Peterson said.
Peterson said the YWCA sees the upcoming event not only as an opportunity to raise funds for its girls empowerment program, which serves over 200 girls in afterschool and summer camp programming throughout the year but also as an opportunity to give voice and help address the concerns of women and people of color.
Tickets for the event can be purchased here: https://2021wrjb.swell.gives/
