This image includes a basket weaved by Cecilia Moreno, ArteVism Fellow and a Native American from the local Tachi and Wukchuni Yokut tribes. The illustration was made by Maria Torres, ArteVism Fellow and visual artist. Learn more about Cecilia and Maria below. Maria Torres / AFSC
Noteworthy changes have swept across the Central Valley's political landscape over the past 10 years as an increasing number of women, younger Latinx and people of color run for public office. The ArteVism Fellows have been busy organizing a webinar to dialogue with some of the players shaping the new political fabric.
The webinar Social Change in the Central Valley: From Public Office to Sustainable Community Upliftment, set for Monday, Dec. 14 at 6:00 pm PT, will provide space for dialogue between the Valley's elected officials and young adults looking at a future in which they can play a role in increasing their active citizenship.
Incoming and currently serving politicians have been invited to share the map they have followed on the road to becoming elected officials, as well as the challenges they have faced along the way. We hope this webinar will contribute to increasing public understanding of how political activism can contribute to creating a more democratic landscape in the region.
Webinar panelist are:
Laura Garcia is a Fresno native residing in the Calwa District. A 2017 graduate of California State University, Fresno, she is currently serving the City of Fresno as a council assistant for Council President Miguel Arias. Laura was recently elected to the Calwa Recreation and Parks District Board.
Jewel Hurtado is a 20-year-old mother and college student currently serving as one of the City of Kingsburg's youngest council members. Jewel’s interest in public service was influenced by her involvement in leadership positions early in her academic years. She is a candidate for Fresno’s EOC Board of Commissioners. If elected, she will be responsible for overseeing the $100 million annual budget the Fresno EOC receives to fight poverty and increase equal employment opportunities in Fresno.
Sup. Lee Lor, a Merced County native, was employed at the Merced County Office of Education as assistant to the county superintendent and executive director of the Merced County Education Foundation before being elected to the Merced County Board of Supervisors in 2017.
Jesse Ornelas is a resident of Merced. A California State University, Fresno graduate, he has several years of experience in grassroots organizing using his own life lessons to empower youth in his community. Jesse currently works at Youth Leadership Institute as the program coordinator for Rise and Lift in Merced. He was elected to the Merced City Council and will soon be taking office.
Bertha A. Perez, a 19-year resident of Merced, will soon be sworn in to the Merced City Council. Inspired by her experience as a custodian at UC Merced's facilities, she became a labor organizer who helped to win a major collective bargaining contract for the employees within the UC system.
Daniel Peñaloza, a resident of Porterville, used his experience as a community organizer to run a grassroots campaign fueled by a community engaged approach. He is currently serving as a council member for the City of Porterville.
Learn more about the people behind the flyer for this event:
Cecilia Moreno is originally from a small, predominantly Mexican community here in the Central Valley of California called Orosi. She is of Yokut and Mexican heritage. After graduating from Orosi High School in 2012, she attended the University of California, Merced. There, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences in December 2019. Cecilia has been involved in many Native American language and cultural revitalization programs and events since her childhood.
Maria Torres is 18 years old, born and raised in Fresno, and her pronouns are she, her, and hers. She graduated in 2019 from Edison High School and is currently a student at Fresno City College majoring in Art. Maria enjoys doing photography, storytelling, journalism, graphic design, and many more creative activities. Her main goal is to become an animator in the future. She’s a part of Youth Leadership Institute and is involved with these programs from YLI: The kNOw Youth Media, Fresno Youth Platform, and Calafia of 2019.