On March 27, Brown Girl Surf traveled to Sacramento for the Parks Now Day at the Capitol! Mira gave multiple testimonies in front of the assembly budget subcommittee about what it takes to make sure that the California’s coasts are accessible to all people. Justine Courtenay-Huang, a 15 year old youth Rising Leader, gave her own testimony as well. She shared, “the thing about access is that you don’t know what you’re missing until you experience it” – and how she experienced access through Brown Girl Surf. Ginger Cuevas, our volunteer surf instructor (also known as hip-hop artist Art3mis Prime), gave a testimony on how the ocean is a healing place for our community. In the afternoon, Mira, Justine, and Ginger went into legislators’ offices and spoke to staff members about equitable access to the outdoors, as well as environmental conservation. On the ride home, the team reflected on how powerful we felt discovering our voices and having them heard to make positive change in the world.
