CalSAC is proud to highlight Christian Landa and Crystal Brookter from CalSAC's 2020 Leadership Development Institute for Emerging Leaders of Color fellowship. Christian and Crystal are leaders who have demonstrated unrivaled commitment to the field and drive for advanced leadership in the out-of-school time and early learning field.
Christian Landa, Improve Your Tomorrow - Sacramento
The following excerpt was written by Christian and is a reflection of the journey that motivates his commitment to equity-driven leadership.
One aspect that has guided my commitment to equity-driven leadership in general, and racial justice leadership in particular, is the notable absence of people of color in teaching positions. When considering how much time a young person spends in the classroom, they will likely form a bond with a teacher. However, when we consider that in “high-poverty” elementary and secondary schools only 16% of educators are black, 17% are Hispanic, and 63% are white on average, we can assume that young men and women of color will find it difficult to identify with an educator, causing unwanted and typically unwarranted resentment to school in general (ref. The State of Racial Diversity in the Educator Workforce U.S. Dept of Ed. P. 6). We know the effects of neglecting school can be harmful, often irrevocable, and ultimately feeds into the school-to-prison pipeline.
While in middle school and through my sophomore year in high school, I was often scrutinized and made an example of for my peers. Unintentionally, I would make myself an easy target by provoking my teachers. I would emulate the same attitudes that other young black and brown men and women had towards them. As a Latino, I connected with whom I saw in my community, hoping to fulfill this need to be included, trying to balance the role of the potential first-generation college graduate, while not leading on to the fact that I actually enjoyed learning, because it was not the thing to do as a young man of color. I did not have a positive role model in my life that wasn’t also working manual labor, or involved in a get-rich-quick scheme, or spent their evenings wishfully thinking but never truly putting pen-to-paper to establish a plan. In short, educators never seemed to me to be an ally of any kind, and because I was repeatedly met with belittling remarks, I concluded that teachers did not care. In retrospect, this is obviously not true; fortunately, my middle school English teacher, Mrs. Frazier, was one of the first individuals to ever challenge my integrity both as a young man and a student, by calling me out and having a personal conversation with me about my role as my mother’s first son and a fatherless young man who was susceptible to being locked up because of his skin color. Mrs. Frazier was not Black or Latina, but I ask myself: “How much more sooner would I have realized the deeply positive effects a teacher plays in the lives of their students, if that conversation had been with a person who looked like me?”
Currently, my role as a program director and mentor puts me side-by-side with young men of color who may also be lacking a positive role model in their life. I have the opportunity and the privilege to help mold these young men into men of honor and leaders who shape their community by taking pride in their academic endeavors because their mentors also excelled in higher education.
Top 5 Strengths:
Command | Restorative | Intellection | Learner | Input
“ A man is worked upon by what he works on. He may carve out his circumstances, but his circumstances will carve him out as well.”
Crystal Brookter, Young Community Developers - San Francisco
Crystal Brookter was born and raised in Fresno, California and has resided in the Bay Area since 2013. She obtained her AA degree in 2008 from Fresno City College and her BA degree in Social Work in 2010 from CSU Fresno. Her desire to work with “at risk youth” began in 2008 when she started work as a Youth Care Worker. Working with “at risk youth” boys, was not an easy task. There were numerous of times where she was disrespected, and told that she was only there for a pay check. Although the boys had their opinions, she was actually interested in each and every youth she encountered as they had their own unique stories that led them down the path they were in. As she continued to build a rapport with the youth and showed them that their life stories, and well-being mattered to her, she explained that she began to feel a sense of trust and respect.
As Crystal continued to work within the field of Social Services in various roles as an In Home Support Counselor working with foster youth and an Instructional Aid working with Middle School students, it wasn’t until she moved to the Bay Area in 2013 when she was actually able to see her growth. Leaving two part time jobs behind and moving on faith, she managed to land a job as a Truancy Case Manager, working with truant youth. There were days that she felt defeated, however she knew that if she was able to reach at least one youth she would be making a difference. Youth never really gave the recognition in the moment, however it may have been days, months, years after working with them that they would shoot a text or email thanking her for working with them and showing off their High School Diploma.
After having her daughter in 2014 a year after moving to the Bay Area, she embarked on her Journey with Young Community Developers, whose primary focus is workforce development. She began her career as an Educational Employment Specialist wearing numerous hats. She worked with youth from Thurgood Marshall High School, in San Francisco, California and assisted Transitional Aged Youth (TAY) with employment assistance. She worked with youth from Thurgood during school ensuring they were on task in class and providing them academic support after school as well as providing them job readiness training.
In 2015 she was promoted to be the Family Support Coordinator for Black to the Future initiative. Black to the Future is a city-driven, community-based, wrap-around service model providing support for San Francisco Black residents. Their mission statement: Black to the Future is unapologetically committed to improving the quality of life of Black People within San Francisco and enhancing educational and economic opportunities for our community by instilling the necessary tools to become successful. Black to the Future focuses on five service areas: Family Support and Advocacy, Education, Health & Wellness, Workforce and Violence Prevention, which are provided by 16 different organizations around San Francisco.
As the Family Support Coordinator, it was Crystal’s job to link youth and their families to services to help them reach sustainability. As the initiative grew, so did Crystal. In 2016, Crystal served in a dual role as a Family Support Coordinator and the Lead Program Coordinator overseeing the entire initiative. As Crystal began to build a solid team, it was not until late Fall of 2016 that she was able to fully embrace and embark on her leadership journey as the Lead Program Coordinator. Looking back, she realizes that all the hats that she has worn throughout the course of her journey has led her up to this moment.
Now in 2020, Crystal is not only grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a great cohort of Leaders of Color, but it has also allowed her to be her authentic self and realize she is not alone in this fight. She will continue to serve the most underserved population in San Francisco, and continue to lead with her head held high.
Top 5 Strengths:
Relator | Developer | Empathy | Positivity | Belief
“It’s complicated to be a Black American in position at this time. ”