Alyce was born in Mississippi, raised in San Diego and has been civically engaged in public service and grassroots nonprofits advocating for the advancement of women, students and low-income communities of color, particularly Black communities for the majority of her adult life.  ​Alyce began her activism in community nonprofits Neighborhood House Association, Black Federation and Mexican-American Opportunity Foundation performing and managing workforce development activities.  She later joined the County of San Diego’s Human Resources Department retiring as a Human Resources Professional.  Since her retirement, Alyce has focused on grassroots lobbying, advocacy, and activism as Vice-Chair of the Black American Political Association of California, San Diego Chapter (BAPACSD) and other nonprofits and Giving Circles.  ​She ran for office in 2016 and since that time has dedicated herself to educating and informing people of color about the importance of registering and voting in Primary and General elections. She is the mother of two sons, grandmother of five, a great-grandmother of one, and a family member to many.

Jacquelyhas guided over 900 young people through the challenging years of high school to become professional, ethical, compassionate young adults. Her stewardship of the prestigious Aaron Price Fellows Program (APF) creates a legacy of youth development that will have a positive impact for generations. Sherman-Rustin served as Executive Director of APF for 20 years. ​Before her position with APF, she worked for approximately ten years behind the scenes of various local officials. She served as council representative for former 4th District Councilman William Jones and served as policy analysis for former San Diego County Supervisor Susan Golding, and Director of Community Outreach for former San Diego Mayor Susan Golding. After retiring from APF, Sherman-Rustin accepted a job with Neighborhood House Association, first as the Director of Community Affairs and later as the Director of Development. ​

Enjoying a lengthy career in public service and executive leadership, Ms. Kennedy’s experience includes organizational planning and operational management. She has led and provided oversight of several media, public awareness, and recruitment campaigns focused on child abuse prevention, foster care and adoption. Ms. Kennedy is also an independent consultant and executive trainer. A servant leader, Ms. Kennedy has a heart for volunteerism and missions. She has supported and coordinated numerous outreach efforts to uplift disadvantaged groups, locally and abroad. Ms. Kennedy established Disaster Relief efforts for displaced families of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; including facilitating more than $30,000 of monetary support to families across the country. During the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Ms. Kennedy partnered with a local non-profit and pursued grant funding to launch Prevention from the Pulpit, an HIV Awareness Campaign for African American Churches in San Diego, CA. Her most meaningful act of service was supporting short term missions, including teaching and providing counsel in the schools and squatter camps within the Paarl Valley of South Africa. Ms. Kennedy is humbled by the opportunity to share her gifts and talents to support this National Celebration of Black Women, a long-awaited moment in history to celebrate the collective dreams and accomplishments of black women everywhere!

Cynthia Keeve was a public servant for 30 years and retired as a paralegal analyst. She is a current California Ambassador for AARP and educates the aging community on healthcare, wellness, fraud prevention, and caregiving in San Diego. As a member of New Life Baptist Church and a certified spiritual counselor, she facilitates spiritual growth classes as a part of the Outreach Ministry. Through her work as a member at large for the 1619 National Celebration of Black Women, she empowers Black women and young girls to know their history and celebrate their excellent contributions to American culture.

Susan is the current Vice President of the External Democratic Women's Club of San Diego, Co-Founder, and former President. Susan also formerly served as president of the Point Loma Democratic Club, where she is the current membership chair.  She formerly served as an Executive Board member of the CA Democratic Party in California's 78th State Assembly district and was the Trustee at the San Diego History Center. A retired educator at Duval County Public Schools, Susan earned her BA from Stetson University and certification in Fund Raising and Development from UCSD. 

Leah is President & CEO of Leah Goodwin Creations – Where Art and Soul Meet. Leah has a diverse background that includes small business development and fundraising, marketing and communications in the areas of cultural, community, and public relations. Her exemplary career in the arts encompasses everything from public arts management to visual and performing arts program development and consultation, to creation and implementation of award winning arts in education and arts in hospitals programs.  Currently, she also serves as:• San Diego Regional Consultant providing Event Coordination, Fund-raising and Community BuildingUnited Negro College Fund• Faculty for Urban Leadership Program, Special Event CoordinatorRISE San Diego• Vice-ChairSan Diego County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls• Co-Chair, Event Manager and Fund-raiserSun and Sea Festival in Imperial BeachIn 2015, Leah created the San Diego Experience of the Civil Rights Movement, an exhibition of banners which has been displayed in many venues around San Diego. The display contains a series of panels that acknowledges the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as well as honors San Diego’s leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Leah is an accomplished and published poet and writer, including significant contributions to the book by Merryl Goldberg entitled, “Teaching English Language Learners through the Arts.” Her recent honors include receiving a 2017 MOXIE Award from MOXIE Theatre for being a Woman of Grit and Determination and being one of the selected featured women in the “Beautiful, Brilliant and Brave: A Celebration of Black Women” exhibit for her work in arts and culture.

Rosa Barr-Williams is a seasoned professional with a comprehensive background in higher education.   HBCU raised and bred, Rosa’s love of ‘her” cultural started when she attended Virginia State University from 1994 to 1998, majoring in Health and Physical Education K-12. Currently, Rosa serves as the Recruitment and Outreach Officer and Coordinator of Strategic Partnerships at California State University San Marcos, bringing over 18 years of valuable experience in various facets of higher education. In her role within Student Affairs at CSUSM, she plays a pivotal role in recruiting a diverse student population. Her multifaceted experiences and dedication to education continue to make meaningful contributions to the academic community at CSUSM

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Originally from Upstate New York, Rosa now resides in San Diego with her retired Military Veteran wife, Sharyn Williams, and their two children. In her leisure time Rosa enjoys running with Black Girls Run San Diego, jumping with 40+ Double Dutch San Diego, and being a part of the NBWC 1619 San Diego. Rosa lives by her quote, " walk into any room, with confidence and know that you belong.

​Sharyn Williams is a retired Business Manager from the Port of San Diego, an Internal Consultant at the City of San Diego, and a Navy Veteran. With a M.A. in Organization Development, she specializes in enhancing leadership competencies with a focus on values-based decision-making.

Sharyn is currently designing workshops to support multicultural teams and empower women to thrive in today's diverse workplace.