Social Justice Speaker Series

Rose Jacobs-Gibson was a former member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. After years of helping her community and to strive for social justice she has resigned. Gibson's approach to leadership reflected one or more values of the Hallmarks. Her leadership approaches were reflected in Hallmarks 3 and 4. Hallmark 3 was, "We educate for and act on behalf of justice and peace in the world", this hallmark reflected her approaches because Gibson who heavily believed in social justice for everyone which is why one of the topics she talked to us about was regarding Youth Gun Violence in the San Mateo. She has mentioned that she has worked with community leaders and law enforcement to protect the youth from gun violence in San Mateo, and she stressed this was a very big problem to be addresses because there is a large percentage of kids who become the victim of gun violence by gangs. She establish this problem through programs like Operation Ceasefire and with the East Palo Alto Crime Reduction Task Force, and this was all when she was a member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. Then when she became the President of the Association of the Bay Area Government (ABAG), she established a Youth Gun Violence Task Force that had to develop common approaches on how to keep firearms from the hands of the youth and to reduce the youth gun violence. Her goal for this was to educate to others most especially to the youth about the problem of youth gun violence and how to approach that problem. Not only did her approach towards this problem was to establish programs and task forces, but she holds speech events like this at many different campuses to educate us. By this we can go out to spread the word, and she this helps to spread more awareness. Another issue that correlates to the example of her leadership approaches is her leadership of helping inmates to lead a better life in a correctional facility. She committed tons of time to helping the inmates of San Mateo to have a normal life like any other citizen of this community. She believed that everyone was equal, and she had always pushed the issue of helping these inmates to receive the equality and social justice they deserved, she believed that they do indeed deserve better to live a better life. Hallmark 4 was, "We commit ourselves to community service", Gibson has devoted more than 20 years to social justice because she saw that as an important aspect in life that needs to be addressed by someone who could fix it in accordance with the help of others. She helped these people not to benefit her title of her position, but because she truly wanted to help the people of her community. For more than 20 years she has devoted herself to her community and to the people of her community. 

Personally, I aspire to reflect these values in my life and leadership because actions can speak louder than words, and actions can be a 1000 things if it was meant to be done right. Helping others without anything in return and simply helping them just because you want to, is honestly one of the best feelings ever. Knowing that you might make an impact or you have made an impact in someone's life is very rewarding and goes forth to all your efforts in wanting to help others. Giving back to the community and striving for social justice is something that everyone should do and practice. Dedicating myself to my community has been something I've loved to do as I was very involved during high school, and the values from Rose Jacobs-Gibson can help me become a stronger leader for my Youth Group for my church when it comes to helping out the community. But aside from being a leader for my Youth Group, this can help me to overall become a better leader. I'm someone who sometimes likes to take charge and I'm seen as someone to go to for help. I hope in the future, that I too, can do amazing things for my community and the people in my community in a big movement.
Listening to Rose Jacobs-Gibson talk to us about how she's dedicated herself to what she loves to do the most is something that my fellow colleagues and I can learn from and help us become people who will strive for social justice and giving back to the community, and it was truly an honor.