Tue November 5th Closed
Public Participation Fellows Cohort 2019-20
Ericka grew up in the Western Addition/Fillmore District of San Francisco. She studied Urban Development at UC Berkeley; as a freshman she made a commitment that she would share the resources and opportunities she learned on campus with her neighbors, peers and the community where she grew up. Recognizing disparities in relation to race, economics and zip codes, Ericka continues to develop tutoring, business training and leadership programs throughout San Francisco.
In January 2004, Ericka’s husband was San Francisco’s homicide victim #7. Turning tragedy into triumph, she established His Kids Inc., a non-profit organization that provided new clothes and resources to children who lost their parents to gun violence and/or incarceration. Later, Ericka became the Administrator and Grants Manager at the African American Art & Culture Center where she was exposed to art and its power to promote change and awareness.
In 2017, Ericka launched Honey Art Studio. Partnering with various artists, Honey curates arts and craft activities (fashion design, painting, pyrography, sculpting, graffiti, and more) for children and adults hosting private and corporate events; the activities range from social justice awareness, community building and art therapy. In 2014, Ericka remarried. Together she and her husband (who is currently incarcerated) curate art exhibits as a social justice platform, highlighting prisoners’ art to bridge families together while raising awareness of mass incarceration. Ericka is a step-mom and gave birth to two children: Savion (17), who will be a freshman at Cal State East Bay in the fall, studying Engineering/ NanoTechnology and Savana (15), whom with a friend, recently launched a clothing line ‘SPIFFY’ to encourage teens to be their own brands.