Capacity Building with a Racial Equity Lens

Zakiyyah Brewer is a Program Associate with our Community Investments and Partnerships department — working on the ASCEND:BLO initiative. This is a crucial role as the initiative has grown immensely over its first year. Working directly with Byron Johnson, Capacity Building Initiative Officer, Zakiyyah will support the ASCEND:BLO Accelerator, Stabilizer, and Network components of the program, ultimately contributing to the support, guidance, and connections of black-led organizations across the Bay Area.

A recent graduate of San Francisco State University, before joining EBCF, Zakiyyah was with Five Keys Charter School and Programs in San Francisco, working both in the community and in San Francisco’s county jails. In her spare time, Zakiyyah enjoys going to concerts with friends and spending time with family.

As ASCEND BLO: Program Associate, Julius brings extensive experience as an educator, community leader, and social justice advocate. As Program Associate, Julius supports the department of Community Investments and Partnerships’ Black-led organization initiative, serving as the lead person for the initiative’s network and community engagement activities. He has managed and facilitated programs, brought diverse groups together, and partnered with numerous Bay Area community-based organizations. In all his work, Julius pursues the promotion of justice, healing, love, and liberation in the communities he is a part of and serves.   

Before joining East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF), Julius worked for thirteen years as a classroom teacher in schools throughout the Bay Area. He has served on the Outdoor Afro Leadership Team in varying capacities and has served as a facilitator for the National Equity Project’s, Black Teacher Project program.  

Julius holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University in Sociology, and a Master of Arts in Education from the University of the Pacific. He lives in Oakland with his husband. In his spare time, he enjoys caring for his plants, going to museums, and connecting with the many beautiful outdoor spaces in the Bay Area, especially the Redwoods with family and friends.