Now in its third year, HEAL's School of Political Leadership (SoPL) supports teams of talented, passionate, food and farm justice leaders who are advocating for policies and solutions that will reimagine how our food and farm systems function. Over six months, SoPL will equip a cohort of four teams composed of 14 leaders with the tools, knowledge, and skills they need to lead campaigns and drive political change.
About the School of Political Leadership
Our Cohort
The 2021 HEAL SoPL leaders are community activists, organizers, educators, farmers, students, land stewards, non profit leaders, and strategists. The four teams that comprise the 2021 cohort were selected for their commitment to racial, economic, and environmental justice and their campaign ideas, which center the knowledge, wisdom, and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) who have been on the frontlines of the fight for food sovereignty, racial justice, climate justice, food security, worker justice, land justice, and environmental justice for decades. Through participation in SoPL, these visionary leaders will gain the tools, skills and knowledge to grow grassroots political leadership in their communities while addressing urgent and systemic flaws in our current food and agricultural system.
Meet the four teams of SoPL leaders who are working to transform our food and farm system
1. Communities Uniting for Farmer Health & Justice (Minnesota)
Zoe Hollomon
Organizing Co- Director (Minnesota) Pesticide Action Network North America & Coordination Team, Midwest Farmers of Color Collective
Vera Allen
Farmer activist & Coordination Team Member, Midwest Farmers of Color Collective
Beverly St. John
Adjunct Faculty, White Earth Tribal Community College & Toxic Taters Coalition
2. Idaho Food Sovereignty Project (Idaho)
Samantha Guerrero
Bilingual Community Organizer for Agriculture & Food, Idaho Organization of Resource Councils, & Idaho Immigrant Resource Alliance
Sidney Fellows
Member, Idaho Organization of Resource Councils (IORC)
Marielena Vega
Visión 2C Resource Council (V2C) Chair and V2C Board Representative before the Idaho Organization of Resource Councils (IORC)
Benjamin Trieu
Board Member, Idaho Organization of Resource Councils (IORC), & Cofounder, Treasure Valley Community Garden Cooperative (TVCGCoop)
3. Cultivate Charlottesville: Land, Liberate, Reparate (Virginia)
Richard Morris
Urban Agriculture Collective Farm and Foodroots Program Director, Cultivate Charlottesville
Tamara Wright
Cultivate Community Advocate Lead, Cultivate Charlottesville
Leon Nunez
Cultivate Garden Associate, Cultivate Charlottesville
Jeanette Abi-Nader
Executive Director, Cultivate Charlottesville
4. Good Food Oakland (California)
Tiffani Patton
Co-Director, Real Food Media & Member, Oakland Food Policy Council
Elizabeth Esparza
Food Justice Community Organizer, HOPE Collaborative
Asia Hampton
Special Projects Manager, HOPE Collaborative
Your tax-deductible donation will support diverse leaders from across the country who are committed to developing solutions to reimagine our food and farm systems. Donate now to support the HEAL School of Political Leadership!