YWCA Pasadena Announces Racial Justice Award Recipients for 17th Annual Women for Racial Justice Breakfast

– Courtesy illustration / YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley

On Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley will host the 17th Annual Women for Racial Justice Breakfast: #LiftingAsWeClimb. The event is scheduled from 8-10 a.m., and will be held at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel, located at 168 S. Los Robles Ave. in Pasadena. This year’s event will highlight leaders who uplift women of color.

The YWCA Pasadena is proud to announce that it will be presenting the 2019 Racial Justice Awards to All Saints Church, a church that has centered it’s ministries on peace and justice, and to Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, Director of the Pasadena Public Health Department.

All Saints Church will be presented with the Racial Justice Award for a Nonprofit Organization at the event for its dedication to racial justice and activism in the Pasadena community. For 25 years, the church has made racial justice and social equity a cornerstone of their ministry. Whether it is Black Lives Matter protests, the Women’s March, or gun control protests, All Saints Church has long been a stalwart presence in Pasadena activism. They have hosted forums on a variety of topics affecting women of color including the movement for black lives, gender and reproductive justice, and LGBTQ issues. They have created ministries to address food insecurity, climate change, prison reform, immigration, marriage equality, support for foster youth, support for LGBTQ members, and have create a strong community of women. Recently, they have also been a sanctuary for migrant families amid ICE raids and advocated for Pasadena to become a sanctuary city.

Dr. Ying-Ying Goh will also be presented the Racial Justice Award for an Individual for her tireless championing of healthcare access for women of color in Pasadena. An accomplished researcher and pediatrician, Dr. Goh is currently the Director of the Pasadena Department of Public Health. From 2011 – 2017, she served as the Board Vice Chair of Planned Parenthood Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley where she helped expand its health centers and services centering her efforts on increasing access to cancer screenings, wellness exams, and reproductive health services for women of color. She served Pasadena as the Medical Director for the Programs and Research Department and the City’s Health Officer before being named the first Asian Female Director of the Public Health Department in April of this year. In her current role, she has continued to focus on issues affecting the most vulnerable populations by creating effective systems for addressing the maternal syphilis crisis, creating strategies to combat disparities in maternal health outcomes amongst women of color in the greater Pasadena area, launching a program focused on improved health outcomes for the 0-5 population, and creating pathways to healthcare access for the LGBTQ population in Pasadena.

Since 2002, the YWCA Pasadena’s Women for Racial Justice Breakfast has celebrated those at the forefront of the fight for racial justice, bringing the community together to honor their accomplishments and reflecting upon the work yet to be finished. Come celebrate our distinguished honorees and be a part of our continued work towards racial justice. Individual tickets for the event are $100, sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information about the Women for Racial Justice Breakfast, please visit the YWCA Pasadena website at ywca-pasadena.org, email cmartinez@ywca-pasadena.org, or call (626) 296-8433.

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