Join The Children’s Partnership on Tuesday, October 22, as we close our 30th anniversary celebration with an evening filled with conversation, music and connection!
We’ll convene in downtown Los Angeles for a panel discussion featuring three phenomenal women of color leaders working to make our state a healthier, stronger and more welcoming place for all California children and their families.
Don’t miss this dynamic group of panelists!
Shimica Gaskins, president and CEO, GRACE & End Child Poverty California
Shimica Gaskins has worked in law and public policy specializing in legislative, regulatory and policy issues associated with criminal justice reform and children’s rights. Prior to joining GRACE and End Child Poverty CA, she was executive director of Children’s Defense Fund-California, where she led statewide advocacy, policy, program and organizing efforts to ensure access to quality affordable health coverage and care for children and low-income families, reform the juvenile justice system, promote educational equity, end child poverty, and improve outcomes for children of color. She formerly served as the Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Policy (OLP) of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) where she worked to develop and implement innovative policy initiatives of the department and administration in areas such as smart on crime, law enforcement and emerging technologies, prison reform, reentry, and issues affecting children with incarcerated parents. Prior to joining DOJ, she was in private practice at Covington & Burling LLP where she managed complex civil litigation. Shimica began her career as a law clerk for the Honorable Roger L. Gregory on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Honorable Victoria Roberts on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Shimica serves on the boards of Impact Justice and California Budget & Policy Center, and is a commissioner on the LA County Commission for Children and Families.
Shimica earned her JD from Georgetown University Law Center and graduated cum laude with a BA in philosophy from the Catholic University of America.
Her writings have appeared in USA Today, Sacramento Bee, Los Angeles Daily News, CalMatters, and legal journals.
Information above from End Child Poverty CA
Priscilla Huang, executive director of the Center for Asian Americans in Action
Priscilla Huang (she/her) is the founding executive director of the Center for Asian Americans in Action, a nonprofit organization that conducts policy analysis, engages in policy advocacy, and strengthens the policy capacity of community organizations to build a more equitable society for Asian Americans in Orange County and beyond.
Priscilla has a background in health care policy, health equity, immigrant health coverage, and reproductive and sexual health. She was a senior attorney at the National Health Law Program, and served as a consultant and senior advisor to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders under the Obama Administration. Priscilla spent over 10 years as a non-profit advocate in Washington, D.C. working on a variety of federal policy issues impacting Asian American communities.
Priscilla received her JD from American University, Washington College of Law, where she was one of ten Public Interest/Public Service Scholars. She received a BA in English and Philosophy from Boston College. Priscilla was a Georgetown Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow, has served on several boards and advisory committees and has been recognized for her leadership by the National Immigration Law Center, Families USA, and the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. She spends her free time trying to keep up with her two energetic young boys, who inspire her to fight for a more just and equitable world.
Information above from The Center for Asian Americans in Action.
Virginia Hedrick, executive director of the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health
Virginia Hedrick is building her personal legacy through her work to change the way California uplifts its native population. More than a decade working on behalf of California tribes has instilled in Hedrick a keen awareness that our state is home to the largest population of American Indians and Alaska natives of any state in the union. Her work with the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health is inspired by her belief in the responsibility that government—at all levels—bears to improve health trends for indigenous peoples.
On a personal level, Hedrick feels fortunate to have been raised in her home territory when so many American Indians deal with legacies of forced displacement. She celebrates her connection to her Yurok culture by taking her children kayaking, designing regalia with her daughters, attending jump dances and other cultural gatherings, and by proudly wearing the tribal tattoos on her chin, a deep reminder of the resiliency and future of California Native communities.
Virginia Hedrick is currently the executive director for the Consortium for Urban Indian Health. She is an enrolled member of the Yurok Tribe of California and is also of Karuk descent.
She has more than 13 years of experience in public health which includes chronic disease prevention, implementation and policy impacts of the Affordable Care Act for California tribes, as well as health research. She holds bachelor of arts degrees in sociology and American Indian studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, a graduate certificate in Maternal Child Health Epidemiology from the University of Arizona, and a master’s of public health degree from Drexel University.
Information above from The California Endowment & The California Wellness Foundation.
We are fiercely proud of the progress we have made in California in the past 30 years, and how that progress can serve as a model for the nation. But we know there is still work to be done as we head toward Election Day and look to the future. In our panel conversation, we’ll discuss how we can continue to strengthen our multiracial democracy to support the health of every child. And then we’ll gather to embrace the joy of being in community and in this work together!
This event is the culmination of our For Our Children’s Future: 30th Anniversary Speaker Series, which we kicked off in October 2023 to celebrate TCP’s 30 years of advocacy for California’s children.
Children and Our Multiracial Democracy
An Evening of Celebration and Camaraderie
October 22, 2024
5:30-7:30 p.m. PDT
Japanese American National Museum
100 N Central Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90012
