Gov. Newsom’s ‘Racial Equity Commission’ is ‘is Marxist in Origin and Un-American in Practice’

Governor Gavin Newsom announced his appointments Thursday to the state’s first Racial Equity Commission, established by an executive order signed by Gov. Newsom last year.

What is the Racial Equity Commission?

In 2021, then-Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) authored SB 17 to form the California Racial Equity Commission. “The Commission will recommend tools, methodologies and opportunities to advance racial equity, and will be available to provide direct assistance to state agencies in reviewing and updating policies and practices upon request.”

Notice the word “equity” rather than “equality.”

SB 17 “Establishes the Racial Equity Commission (REC) within the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to evaluate and recommend strategies for advancing racial equity across state agencies and departments,” the bill analysis stated. “The REC shall develop a statewide Racial Equity Framework for the state, offer technical assistance to departments and local governments, engage in community outreach via quarterly stakeholder meetings, and publish annual reports on racial disparities in the state and recommendations to reduce such disparities.”

Why is this commission necessary?

Because “the bill acknowledges institutional and systemic racism and states that California must approach laws and regulations with an eye toward dismantling racist systems,” the bill analysis once again states.

In 2022, Governor Newsom signed an executive order “directing state agencies and departments to take additional actions to embed equity analysis and considerations in their mission, policies and practices.”

Notably, Gov. Newsom’s executive order states:

California is the largest and most diverse state in the nation, shaped by the contributions of all its residents;
California has a strong history of fighting for freedom and civil rights for all people;

California leads the nation in confronting the climate crisis and building community resilience through equity and opportunity, including supporting communities that experience the greatest social and health inequities from climate change; and

California continues to march towards equality and to address our nation’s and our State’s historical wrongs, including through recognition of gay marriage in San Francisco; placing a moratorium on the death penalty in California; advancing immigrant equity and inclusion; protecting access to reproductive health care; compensating survivors of state-sponsored sterilization; ending sub-minimum wage employment; and recently forming the Truth and Healing Council and the Reparations Task Force; and…

Given all of the groundbreaking social justice, climate justice, gender justice, civil justice, reproductive justice, employment justice, and criminal justice reforms California has made and is named in the executive order, why is this Racial Equity Commission needed?

According to the author Sen. Pan, “In the United States, black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) have experienced centuries of inequality and systemic, institutionalized racism, beginning when European colonizers stripped tens of millions of indigenous and native people of their identity, culture, language, lifestyle, families, work, history, and traditions. Even as it represents one of the most successful projects of modern democracy, the United States embedded racial inequality, violence, and trauma into its founding document.”

“At this moment of national reckoning on racial justice, I’m proud to appoint these diverse leaders to advise our ongoing work to ensure that all our communities have a fair shot at achieving the California dream,” said Governor Newsom.

The Governor and Legislature has authorized a total of $6.9 million to support the Racial Equity Commission and Youth Empowerment Commission.

As Dr. Wenyuan Wu, Executive Director of Californians for Equal Rights Foundation told the Globe in April, “both the legislative intent and executive decree behind the establishment of the Racial Equity Commission are deeply rooted in a far-left ideology that treats any observed disparities as results of ‘systemic racism’ and calls for equalizing results/outcomes through public policies.”

Dr. Wu continues: “The idea of a racial equity commission was first proposed by Senator Richard Pan in his 2021 Senate Bill 17 which re-defines racism as ‘a public health crisis.’ Introduced after the disastrous summer of racial reckoning when American cities were vandalized, looted and even burned down in the name of ‘racial equity,’ SB 17 was a virtue-signaling partisan manifesto, rather than a sensible policy proposal.”

“Being one of America’s most diverse and politically progressive states, California does not need more government edicts or state bureaucracy to sing the tune of racial equity. The premise behind this controversial idea is Marxist in origin and un-American in practice.”

“Equality in outcomes” is the real goal. While Dr. Wu warned us about calling for “equalizing results/outcomes through public policies,” an African American History professor wrote a telling op ed in 2020 with this title: “Equal opportunity is not enough. Equality is in outcomes,” which clarified the primary goal.

Here are the Governor’s “diverse leaders” – all Democrats:

Dr. Larissa Estes, of Walnut Creek, has been appointed Executive Director of the Racial Equity Commission. Dr. Estes has been Director of ALL IN Alameda County since 2019. She was Manager of Community Partnerships with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals from 2018 to 2019. Dr. Estes was a Program Manager at the Prevention Institute from 2015 to 2018. She was a Policy Analyst for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission from 2013 to 2015 and a Performance Improvement Manager and Accreditation Coordinator for the Houston Health Department from 2011 to 2012. She earned a Doctor of Public Health degree in Community Health Practice from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, a Master of Public Health degree in Family and Child Health from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from Duquesne University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $162,588. Dr. Estes is a Democrat.

Virginia Hedrick, of Carmichael, has been appointed to the Racial Equity Commission. Hedrick has been Executive Director of California Consortium for Urban Indian Health Inc. since 2017. She was a Program Coordinator for the California Rural Indian Health Board from 2007 to 2017. Hedrick earned a Master of Public Health degree from Drexel University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hedrick is a Democrat.

Gabriel Maldonado, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Racial Equity Commission. Maldonado has been Chief Executive Officer of TruEvolution since 2008. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree in Global Business from the University of Redlands and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of California, Riverside. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Maldonado is a Democrat.

Traco Matthews, of Bakersfield, has been appointed to the Racial Equity Commission. Matthews has been Chief Health Equity Officer at Kern Health Systems since 2023. He also serves as a local Pastor, an Adjunct Professor at California State University, Bakersfield, and as a community advocate for equitable housing, public safety, economic opportunities, and voting rights. Matthews was Chief Program Officer at the Community Action Partnership of Kern from 2020 to 2022. He served as a Director for Human Resources & Staff Development in the Office of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools from 2018 to 2020. He was a Public Affairs Specialist and Human Resources Specialist at Aera Energy LLC from 2012 to 2018. Matthews earned a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Bakersfield and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Matthews is a Democrat.

Jolie Onodera, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Racial Equity Commission. Onodera has been a Senior Legislative Advocate with the California State Association of Counties since 2022. She served as Legislative Director at the California Department of Finance from 2018 to 2022. Onodera served as Deputy Secretary of Legislation at the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency from 2017 to 2018. She was Principal Consultant for the California Senate Committee on Appropriations from 2011 to 2016. Onodera was a Research Program Specialist II with the California Department of Social Services from 2009 to 2011. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Onodera is a Democrat.

Manuel Pastor, of Pasadena, has been appointed to the Racial Equity Commission. Pastor has been a Director and Professor at the USC Equity Research Institute since 2007. He served as a Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz from 1996 to 2007 and at Occidental College from 1984 to 1996. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Economics from the University of Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Pastor is a Democrat.

Yolanda R. Richardson, of Roseville, has been appointed to the Racial Equity Commission. Richardson has been Chief Executive Officer of the San Francisco Health Plan since 2022. She served as Secretary of the California Government Operations Agency from 2020 to 2022. Richardson was CEO of Teloiv from 2016 to 2020. She served as Chief Deputy Executive Director at Covered California from 2011 to 2016 and was Chief Operations Officer at Cal eConnect from 2009 to 2011. Richardson was Chief Operating Officer at the San Francisco Health Plan from 2007 to 2009. She was Vice President of Operations at PacAdvantage from 2003 to 2007. Richardson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocational Education from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Richardson is a Democrat.

Simboa Wright, of Fontana, has been appointed to the Racial Equity Commission. Wright has been Vice President of SEIU Local 721 since 2021. He has served as a Wastewater Collection Worker II for the City of Los Angeles since 2001. Wright is a member of the LA Conservation Corps Board of Directors. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Wright is a Democrat.

California Globe readers, please, share your thoughts. And if you are interested, read our article in April introducing this commission.

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Katy Grimes

Katy Grimes, the Editor in Chief of the California Globe, is a long-time Investigative Journalist covering the California State Capitol, and the co-author of California's War Against Donald Trump: Who Wins? Who Loses?

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