Bernice “bere” Espinoza             

She is a first generation American and college attendee, a Xicanx/Latinx Civil Rights lawyer. Her lifelong dedication to social justice has led her activism, advocacy, a career in law, and even poetry -all of which center on the social justice issues close to her heart (particularly immigration, racial justice and criminal justice reform).

bere has been writing poetry since the age of ten. She wrote “Society’s Robots” when she was twelve. It became her first published poem when she was 13, in the Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans (1995 Edition, Volume CLXXV). She went on to publish her second poem, “Solitary Storm”, while in high school. In 2003, Poetry for the People Press published her poem, “Spring Break: The Movie,” as part of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People anthology In Poetry We Trust: student poets spit their peace.

From 2010 to 2015, bere was a proud member of Word to the Wise, a poetry ministry under the direction of Terry Patrick. Since 2016, bere has taught poetry workshops for youth with Raizes Collective, On the Margins, and Center for Well-Being. 

In 2022, she performed her poem, “Lessons Learned by a Pocha” to the legendary Luis Valdez. Consequently, that summer it became part of Teatro Campesino’s production Palabra Volume Familia. This also marked the commencement of her friendship and collaboration with Professor Anita Reyes. In the spring 2023, Professor Reyes and her students at San Jose City College featured three of bere’s poems (“La Nueva Llorona”, “Crushed Grapes”, and “Lessons Learned by a Pocha”) in their production I Love Immigrants. 

On Cinco De Mayo weekend 2023, bere performed at The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum in its first ever poetry event: Viva Poesia.

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Uplifting Community through Law

Eki Shola E.

Featured on PBS, NPR Tiny Desk Contest, KQED and in 'Best of the Bay Editors’ Pick', Eki Shola’s music transcends genre, as she seamlessly draws from jazz, electronica, and soul music to create a sonic landscape all her own. A vocalist, pianist, and internal medicine physician, Eki Shola uses her music as a conduit for healing. ASCAP Plus winner, Eki Shola has shared the stage with Dr. Donald Byrd, Steve Turre and more and and has opened for various artists including Habib Koité, Bebel Gilberto, DakhaBrakha, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Lucky Otis, and Kitaro. 

Eki Shola has performed throughout California, Guam, Portugal, London and New York and at venues including Blue Note Napa, Kyotophonie Borderless Music Festival, Railroad Square Music Festival, and more. The five-time NorBay Music awardee recently completed a Japan tour for her 5th solo album, 還 (Kaeru), recorded with local artists, for which she continues to receive global recognition and international airplay.

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Website  |  Instagram

Farrah McAdam

Calling on her 20+ years of various movement experiences and gatherings, Farrah McAdam is a dance educator, choreographer, and artist in the Bay Area who is invested in equitable, collaborative environments where history and critical thinking are investigated just as much as physical embodiments. Farrah strives to build worlds that provide space for liberatory expression and to facilitate each creative process with equity, agency, passion, and community care practices. She has been a guest educator and choreographer around the West Region- including Arizona State University, Scottsdale Community College, Modesto Community College, San Jose State, Fresno State University, and Sonoma State University. Farrah holds a B.A. in Psychology and Dance and is pursuing certification through Rennie Harris University’s first-ever cohort as a C1 Candidate.

She has a deep love for Kimzin Creative and the co-conspirators of LA ASAMBLEA and is honored to be amongst these incredible warriors! 

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Jacob Yarrow

Jacob Yarrow is a curator, artist, and manager who has served as the executive director of the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University since 2017. Under his leadership, the Green has prioritized support of artists of all ages and deepened engagement with Sonoma State students and the region's communities. He also serves a campus leadership role as a member of the Sonoma State Cabinet. Previously, Jacob was programming director of the University of Iowa’s Hancher Auditorium and executive director of Garth Newel Music Center, where he founded the Virginia Blues & Jazz Festival. He also has experience as a junior high music teacher, a touring musician, and working for a national service organization. 

Zohar Kennard

Hello! My name is Zohar, and I am an artist and designer raised in Sonoma County! I value experimentation with many mediums, particularly in 3d. My work explores my biracial and multicultural identity, womanhood, generational trauma, and my perpetual interpretations and reflections of the world around me. Currently I am a student at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) studying Industrial Design, and I am on this creative path in hopes of designing a more accessible and equitable future for all. 

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Website

Zohar Kennard

Hello! My name is Zohar, and I am an artist and designer raised in Sonoma County! I value experimentation with many mediums, particularly in 3d. My work explores my biracial and multicultural identity, womanhood, generational trauma, and my perpetual interpretations and reflections of the world around me. Currently I am a student at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) studying Industrial Design, and I am on this creative path in hopes of designing a more accessible and equitable future for all. 

Jacob is an educator and poet from California. He is the recipient of the University of Lancaster’s Portfolio Prize for poetry where he earned his MA in Creative Writing with distinguished honors. His poetry appears in various publications, among them, The Breakbeat Poets - LatiNEXT (Haymarket Books), Latino Book Review
Magazine, The Indianapolis Review, The Santa Fe Writers Project, and Best New Poets 2022 (Samovar Press). In 2023, Oxford Brookes University’s ignitionpress published Kitchen Boombox, Ramírez’s first pamphlet collection.
Ramírez is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Creative Writing at Lancaster University. His poetry project, tentatively titled The Men We Bury, investigates heteronormative and machismo culture in Latinx diasporic communities through lenses of dual-identity, fatherhood, and American roots music. His first full-length collection is in progress. He works as a multilingual education specialist in Sonoma County, California. He lives with his wife and two children.

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Website

Zohar Kennard

Jacob Anthony Ramírez