This is a joint letter from the Sisterhood Trust, a coalition of women of color leaders from 6 of the preeminent social justice organizations in Los Angeles that includes our CEO, Connie Chung Joe. It calls for the immediate pardon of community activist Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of Translatin@ Coalition.
Sign her petition at pardonlabamby.com
Dear Governor Newsom:
We, as the Sisterhood Trust, write this joint letter in support of our coalition member, Bamby Salcedo, M.A. We ask that you grant Bamby clemency and you pardon her for her past criminal record. Your pardon will enable Bamby to continue her application to secure legal immigration status.
The Sisterhood Trust is a coalition of women of color leaders from 6 of the preeminent social justice organizations in Los Angeles, including each organization’s highest female executive plus additional female mid-level managers. The Sisterhood Trust has worked collectively with Bamby for the past two years and our coalition benefits greatly from her incredible leadership as the President and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition.
Under Bamby’s tenure, TransLatin@ Coalition has grown to become the largest Transgender and Gender nonconforming and Intersex (TGI)-led organization in the country. As a transgender, Latinx, immigrant woman and leader, Bamby is broadly sought by government and community leaders for her expertise, knowledge and leadership on issues pertaining to LGBTQIA+, immigration, incarceration, detention, and transgender communities. Her exceptional leadership and expertise led her to speak on the same stage as President Biden, and invitations to speak at the White House, to testify before Congress, and present around the world. We imagine these are the same strengths that led you to appoint her last year to the California Commission on the State of Hate.
Bamby’s past criminal record for petty crimes stemmed from substance abuse issues decades ago. Since then, Bamby has been sober, fully rehabilitated, and dedicated her life to serving the transgender community. Bamby is one of the most important transgender, Latina female leaders in California, if not the country. Those of us in the Sisterhood Trust who lead some of the most influential social justice organizations in Los Angeles, as well as the state, see Bamby as crucial to building our interracial and intersectional coalition. We believe in a multiracial democracy where women of color leaders who exhibit Bamby’s combination of incredible resilience, rich lived experience, and tremendous dedication to social justice are cherished. We know you share those same values for California and therefore, we urge you to #PardonLaBamby.
Sincerely,
The Sisterhood Trust
Aurea Montes-Rodriguez, Executive Vice President, Community Coalition
Charisse Bremond Weaver, President & CEO, Brotherhood Crusade
Connie Chung Joe, CEO, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
Maria Roman, VP and COO, The Translatin@ Coalition
Martha Arevalo, Executive Director, CARECEN – Los Angeles
Sophya Chhiv, Interim Executive Director, Khmer Girls in Action