New exhibition expands what it means to advance civil rights in the region.
Riverside, CA. – September 9, 2024 –The Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California invites the public to attend the opening of its exhibition, Homegrown Heroes, on Thursday, September 26, at 6:00 PM. The ambitious $200,000 bilingual exhibition and oral history project interviewed 25 elders and emerging leaders, heralding the start of the Civil Rights Institute’s oral history program, a determined effort to preserve hundreds of Inland stories. Focusing on the interest areas of race and ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, disability, gender, and national origin, the exhibition expands what civil rights work looks like in our region.
The project was born when staff at the Civil Rights Institute realized that a $100,000 grant from the Creative Corps Inland SoCal would be a perfect opportunity to invest in the region’s multitude of civil rights stories and preserve them for future generations. The project mobilized local cinematographers to capture the life experiences of civil rights leaders in video interviews, bringing never-before-told stories to the public through an exhibition, event programming, and online resources. Soon California Humanities lent their support to the project. Altura Credit Union and various individuals followed suit. Sabrina Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Institute states, “We are thrilled to show this exhibition to the community, it ties together everything we are. We are people and story centered and we look towards the past to build a better future.”
The stories told in Homegrown Heroes relay the ways everyday folks have broken gender barriers, advanced racial equity, ensured our equal access to public spaces and health resources, improved the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals, and secured immigrant rights. As Civil Rights Institute Board President, Ken Gutierrez, reminds us, these stories only scratch the surface: “Since we opened, we found people don’t always realize everything that the civil rights umbrella covers, it encompasses race and ethnicity, of course, but it also extends to disability rights, immigrant rights, gender equality, and so much more, this is just the start.” Throughout the exhibition’s run, the Civil Rights Institute will carry out additional interviews and grow an online archive reflecting the Inland region’s diverse civil rights history. The stories of these Homegrown Heroes remind us of the many individuals who advance civil rights in Inland Southern California and, in the feedback area, asks the visitor: “What will you do?”
Caption: Installers Timothy LeBlanc and Yanela Cortes-Orozco carefully install the title wall.
Caption: Title wall for Homegrown Heroes opening September 26, 2024.
Caption: Timothy LeBlanc lines up the vinyl wall panel in the “Race and Ethnicity” section
Caption: Civil Rights Institute gallery walls await their final displays for the Homegrown Heroes exhibition.
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More about the leaders in the exhibition:
Homegrown Heroes highlights the civil rights work that happens all around us, everyday, by people who decide to act and make their communities a better place. The exhibition includes the stories of some of Inland Southern California’s many social justice leaders. The individuals in this exhibition include:
- Lalit Acharya (1951-2022)
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- Co-founder of the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California and active within Riverside city government as the International Relations Officer supporting the sister city initiative, erecting the Gandhi statue, and establishing the Long Night of Arts and Innovation.
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- Maria and Antonio Ayala
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- Immigrant rights activists and founders of TODEC (Training Occupational Development Educating Communities), active labor leaders in the U.S. and before immigrating, in Mexico.
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- Chani Beeman
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- Local Riverside activist and organizer active in the feminist and LGBTQ+ movements, as well as in efforts to improve police accountability.
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- Pete Benavidez
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- Founder and CEO of Blindness Support Services, active in the Disability and Latino communities.
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- Robert Bland
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- The first Black undergraduate to receive his BA from the University of Virginia and leader of the parents’ group during the movement to integrate Riverside schools.
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- Jane Block
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- Environmentalist, feminist, and children’s services activist, crucial to the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan.
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- Bernell Butler
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- Reverend and leader of protests and calls for reform after the murder of Tyisha Miller.
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- Phyllis Clark
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- CEO and founder of Healthy Heritage, an organization focused on improving the mental and physical health of Black patients.
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- Carolyn “Connie” Confer
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- Former assistant city attorney in Riverside, defeated the movement to put an anti-gay measure on the ballot, and founder of PACE and the Inland AIDS project.
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- Richard T. Fields
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- The first Black judge in Riverside County, appointed Judge of the Superior Court, Riverside County, and in 2017 appointed to the 4th District Court of Appeals.
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- Eloise Gomez Reyes
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- The first Latina to open her own law firm in the Inland Empire, later became the Majority Leader of the California State Assembly, the first Latina and only the fourth woman to hold the position.
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- Katie Greene
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- Retired USAF Major, retired nurse practitioner, and lawyer. Involved in local organizations including The Group, Riverside African American Historical Society, and the Eleanor Jean Grier Leadership Academy.
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- Ben Jáuregui
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- Disability and senior advocate. Founder of the Inland Empire Disabilities Collaborative, a partnership between IEHP, Community Access Center and PossAbilities of Loma Linda University.
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- Gabriel “Gabe” Maldonado
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- Founder and CEO of TruEvolution, an organization that fights for health equity and racial justice to advance the quality of life and dignity of LGBTQ+ people. Served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.
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- Rosa Martha Zárate Macías
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- Former nun and social justice advocate for former braceros. She uses her talents as a musician, singer, and songwriter to propel the immigrant rights movement.
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- Rose Mayes
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- Developed the Fair Housing Council of Riverside into a national model for combatting housing discrimination and devoting over 30 years of her life to community service, including being a co-founder of the Civil Rights Institute.
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- Virginia Phillips
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- US District Judge for the Central District of California, nominated by Bill Clinton. Phillips was the judge who ruled that the U.S. Department of Defense’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was unconstitutional in 2010.
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- Benita Ramsey
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- Pastor at Unity Fellowship Church and active LGTBQ+ social and health justice advocate. Executive Director at Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance and 2022 grand marshal of the Palm Springs Pride Parade.
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- Ernest and June Siva
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- Dedicated, through the Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, to “save and share” the Serrano language, history, and musical traditions.
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- Vivian Stancil
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- Founder of the Vivian Stancil Olympian Foundation. Former teacher and now competitive senior swimmer committed to reducing incidents of drowning and promoting water safety.
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- Mark Takano
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- First openly gay person of color in Congress, currently representative of California’s 39th district. Member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs among other subcommittees.
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- Ofelia Valdez-Yaeger (1947-2024)
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- Community organizer in Riverside, California. Active in supporting UCR, founder of Latino Network, key supporter of The Cheech and many other organizations.
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- Judy White
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- Trailblazing Black educator and administrator. The first Black superintendent of Moreno Valley School District and the first female Riverside County Office of Education Superintendent, founder of MOSAIC, an organization creating community among women educators.
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- Deborah Wong
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- Ethnomusicologist and professor in Southeast Asian Studies and Asian American Studies at UCR, active in the preservation of Riverside’s Chinatown and a leader of the movement to establish the Community Police Review Commission after Tyisha Miller’s murder.
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- Elvis Zornoza
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- Deaf advocate with the Center on Deafness Inland Empire. He is a sports content creator and social media influencer and president of the United States Deaf Ski and Snowboard Association.
[Interviews with the individuals above may be made available to the press. Contact Sabrina Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Civil Rights Institute, for assistance.]
The Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California is dedicated to protecting our civil rights now and in the future, as well as providing a center for education and discussion of the civil rights issues facing our region.