Causa Justa :: Just Cause members are leaders in their communities and advocates for radical change in our society. Our members are Latinos and African-Americans from the neighborhoods of East and West Oakland and the Mission and Excelsior districts of San Francisco.

Causa Justa members participate in skills trainings, know-your-rights trainings, political education, and campaigns. They strategize with each other as well as with allies. They talk with their neighbors. They talk to the media. They speak out on the streets and in the offices of elected officials.

Causa Justa invests in our members because we know that in building people’s power we build stronger communities while building a stronger movement for change.

Meet our members!

Alma Blackwell…“I had the opportunity…to attend a Congressional hearing in Washington D.C.”

Maria Hernandez…“I am committed to continue working for unity.”

Talia Herrera…“I got involved with the issue of immigrant rights and made a poster on the topic that is now a mural.”

Dabphne Huges…“The canvassing work is critical for bringing information directly to the people in my community.”

Yvonne Smith….“I’m exited to be working on our first cross-bay campaign.”

Alma Blackwell

“We are all people who want a decent place to live.”

My name is Alma Blackwell and I am a member of Causa Justa :: Just Cause. I became involved with Causa Justa :: Just Cause, then Just Cause Oakland, in 2008 when we fought against OHA’s (Oakland Housing Authority) plan to privatize public housing units. Now these sites are project based Section 8 housing. As a resident of public housing and a CJJC member, I was able to participate in a research project on a national level with Right to the City Alliance. I had the opportunity this past May to attend a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. where we presented a report, “We Call These Projects Home.” It is a recommendation to Congress to save and invest in public housing. [The trip] was an awesome experience. I learned how work on the local level affects change on a national level. One of the things that I have been involved with on the local level, due to our merger is in our Oakland Housing Clinic, where I am a volunteer receptionist. In this work, I have seen that as people of color we share some of the same struggles and issues, such as housing that affects both [African-American and Latino] communities. We are all people who want to have decent places to live, where properties are maintained and where our families can live in a safe and productive environment. I can surely say that CJJC has empowered me to stay involved in working towards resolving housing issues in my community. We are working to come together. The economic crisis should be bringing all of us together to work against a common enemy, not breaking us apart.

Maria Hernandez

“I am committed to working for unity.”

My name is Maria Hernandez. I joined in 2001 when I needed a repair done in my apartment, and I sought out the support of a community agency that defends tenants against landlord abuses. What we won was not only repairs but also the landlord stopped abusing us. Since then I have felt truly supported in any housing-related problem that I have. I am committed to continue working for unity and to invite more people to dedicate themselves to this organization, thereby making us stronger.

Talia Herrera

“I got involved with the issue of immigrant rights.”

My name is Talia Herrera. I came to Causa Justa when it was St. Peter’s Housing Committee due to some housing problems I was having, which St. Peter’s helped me resolve. In addition to winning my case, my family gained a group of people whose intentions were to continue helping ourselves, and I got involved with the issue of immigrant rights and made a poster on the topic that is now a mural in Clarion Alley near Valencia and 17^th. I am moved by the suffering that so many families were living, having been separated by deportation, and the insecurity that this causes in the Latino community. In addition to fighting for housing, Causa Justa fights on behalf of immigrants, and because of this, I am committed to uniting with this struggle to win immigrant rights and amnesty for all.

Dabphne Huges

  “The people I talk to really appreciate us being out there.”

I’m Daphney Hughes. I came to CJJC for a census outreach job [in 2010]. I joined as a member because I liked what I saw. I liked the people. I liked the participation in the community, and the campaign work is really important. I can see that we’re actually trying to solve problems. There’s so much I’m learning that I wouldn’t get if I wasn’t a part of this organization. Once I have information, I’m able to share it with my family, my neighbors. Through civic engagement work and canvassing I can reach even more people. The canvassing work is critical for bringing information directly to the people in my community that are usually left out of decisions that affect our lives. The people I talk to really appreciate us being out there. And it felt good sharing! Once you start sharing, it was like I was giving away money. People come around to see what you’re talking about, and then you can give them important information about things that affect them and show them how they can get involved. I am commited to giving more of myself to the work and to making sure we’re able to reach even more people and follow up with the great people we meet so they can join our work.

Yvonne Smith

“I’ve lived in West Oakland for 60 years.”

My name is Yvonne Smith. I’ve lived in West Oakland for 60 years and in the same home for 40 years. I first got involved in struggles to benefit my neighborhood. I’ve been part of the organization ever since, fighting to stop displacement and gentrification and to improve the standard of life for people in Oakland. I’m exited to be working on our first cross-bay campaign- Utilies ON! Utilities ON! is a fight to ensure that utilities stay on for tenants in foreclosed properties. We are fighting to keep water on for Oakland tenants, and to keep PG&E on for San Francisco tenants, and to make the banks pay! I’m committed to supporting all the work of the organization, knowing that as we continue to grow, there will be more, and more we will be called on to do to meet our community’s needs. I will always remember our basic needs for reasonable rents for all people—in public housing and rent-controlled housing—and to stand up against illegal evictions and injustice.

Esta página aparecerá en Español muy pronto. ¡Gracias por su paciencia!

This page will soon appear in Spanish.  Thanks for your patience!