Akonadi Foundation sends a huge congratulations to our board member and former president Lateefah Simon on her election as Congresswoman for California’s 12th District! Lateefah has a long history as a civil rights and social justice organizer in the Bay Area and Akonadi is proud to be one part of that legacy. Oakland is a key city in the district that Lateefah will now represent and we believe that the deep relationships she built here as a funder, organizer, and mentor will undoubtedly yield positive results for the future of our youth, families and community as a whole.
Before her time at Akonadi, Lateefah was a passionate advocate for our communities in her various roles at the Rosenberg Foundation, Young Women’s Freedom Center and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. In her six years as President of Akonadi, Lateefah left a remarkable impact, launching our All In for Oakland initiative, which resources key movement organizations in their work to end the criminalization of Black youth and youth of color. It was also her vision and perseverance that helped launch the California Black Freedom Fund, a five-year-initiative that has since spun off into its own independent institution dedicated to investing in Black power-building and movement-based organizations to effect the culture, policy and systems changes necessary to realize equity and justice in our state.
After her departure as president of Akonadi, Lateefah joined our Board and began a new position as President of Meadow Fund. As a board member, Lateefah championed Akonadi’s approach to racial justice grantmaking, continued to uplift Oakland’s movement organizations, and informed the next chapter of the foundation. We appreciate all she has done for the foundation and wish her well as she transitions off our board this month.
“I am so proud of Lateefah for her victory and am confident she will hold the voices, stories, and concerns of our community with her at every step of the way. Her leadership continues to inspire me and we thank her for all she’s done to push our foundation forward and in deep connection with Oakland’s movements,” Quinn Delaney, Akonadi co-founder and Board Chair.
“Lateefah sets the bar when it comes to championing community power and relationship-building. I look forward to seeing her serve as our district’s Congresswoman and how she will bring all her experience into this incredible opportunity to continue advancing racial justice. We will miss her on our Board but know she will shape the future of our community in new and transformative ways,” said Ray Colmenar, Akonadi President.
“I’m so grateful to everyone who supported me in this journey. My Akonadi family and community played a huge role in my growth as a public servant and it will be my honor to represent Oakland and the rest of Alameda County as your next Congresswoman,” Lateefah Simon said.