CCJFG Welcomes New Steering Committee Members
This summer, the California Criminal Justice Funders Group welcomed two new Steering Committee members:
- Krea Gomez (she/they), Senior Program Office with Rosenberg Foundation
- Julie Vue (she/they), Senior Program Officer with the Central Valley Community Foundation
We're so grateful for their wisdom and guidance. Read more about Julie & Krea below!
Q&A with Krea Gomez and Julie Vue
Tell us about your background and what brought you to this work.
Krea Gomez: I, unfortunately, was detained as a youth after a fight at school when I was in 10th grade. I didn't end up exiting the system until I aged out at age 18. It made being a teen extremely difficult. There was a stay away order that extended my time getting to school and home by 40 minutes, required me to attend 5 different high schools before I graduated, and caused me to leave my parents house to be on my own. I am thankful to a program, the Street Survival Project, now known as the Young Women's Freedom Center. That job saved my life. I was 16 years old, making double the minimum wage to teach other system involved and homeless youth on the streets of San Francisco how to navigate our growing (but disconnected) network of community based and social service organizations, and how to keep themselves safe while they navigated the underground street economy. I've stayed with them ever since.
Julie Vue: Much of my rise to consciousness happened as a struggling undergraduate student at UC Irvine (I know, of all places!). Through formal and informal spaces, I built a critical lens around power and started to name my own experiences and what I was witnessing in our society. Right around this time, I was fortunate to be included in conversations and learn about the school-to-prison pipeline and this is where my lens really widened and deepened – about how horrible our society has been and still is when it comes to policing and mass incarceration – a system that destroys lives and whole communities. Then I realized that the fire I felt about these issues was a result of experiencing the impact of incarceration on families – my oldest brother did several stints in juvenile and adult legal systems throughout my upbringing in the 90s. I still remember the drive down the 99 and through farm fields to get to Corcoran State Prison. The ability to learn about policing and power in an academic institution, coupled with community organizing, and drawing into my family's hard history with incarceration, catalyzed my lifelong commitment to address issues of the criminal legal system.
What are the values or principles that keep you grounded in the work?
Krea Gomez: Those who have lived experience are the ones who should lead. Those who know should share and those with access should open the door.
Julie Vue: As a values-based person, I still struggle with narrowing down the values that speak to me. I think it's a result of finding value in almost every value. Ha! Community is a core value that drives almost everything I engage with. It's important to me that the work is in service of the community and rooted in collective care for all. The works of john a. powell and bell hooks have greatly inspired me and reminds me that a community of belonging, love, and joy are central to a vibrant and thriving society. Justice and equity also really speak to me as values – I like to think of these values as a compass that helps me gauge if the work I'm doing truly meets the mark of being good for the community.
What is strengthening you in this moment?
Krea Gomez: Young people! They are the evidence of centuries of ancestors fighting for the future of their People! With every generation we GROW towards our collective liberation as they normalize justice and humanity. I have learned so much about their ideas of sexuality, our relationship with land, and their thoughts on freedom and community
Julie Vue: I moved back to my hometown, Fresno, a little over 2 years ago and the move along with my big family have been incredibly rejuvenating for me. It's been great to learn, unlearn, and relearn this wonderful little-big city and spend almost every weekend barbequing and hanging out with the people I love!