Julie Wright Changemaker Award

As a community and education advocate and organizer for over 20 years, Juanita Towns specializes in developing positive one-on-one relationships with parents, youth, educators and community leaders. She is a mentor, a facilitator, a community leader, and an expert at helping young people realize their potential, use their voice, and pursue exciting pathways to academic and career success. Towns co-founded the Black Parents Resourse Center. Towns holds an Associate of Arts Degree from SAE Expression College. She is a Certified Life Coach and a Mental Health First Responder. Born in Houston, TX, and raised in Seaside and Oakland, CA, Towns has lived in Richmond for over 35 years.

Stephanie Medley leads program development and advocacy at the RYSE Center. She cultivates cross-sector collaborations to address the needs of youth & young adults impacted by education, economic, and criminal & juvenile justice systems. She works to create avenues for young people to navigate their own liberation and transform systems. Before joining RYSE, Medley worked on housing and eviction defense with Bay Area Legal Aid. Medley holds a J.D. from John F. Kennedy University College of Law, received her B.A. in Political Science and American Studies from San Francisco State University. She currently sits on Contra Costa County’s Racial Justice Taskforce.