Ella Baker Center's founding and current Executive Directors: Van Jones and Jakada Imani

This blog is part of our month-long series celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. Submit your own anniversary memory or wish to ellasvoice@ellabakercenter.org.

Today we celebrate 15 years as the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. As you probably know, our first office was quite literally in a closet. There, Van Jones and Diana Frappier started organizing and mobilizing the Bay Area to end police brutality. A broad base of activists and young, emerging leaders joined the movement and the Ella Baker Center earned its reputation for fiercely opposing injustice, elevating the voices of the forgotten and winning real change.

I became involved with the Ella Baker Center in those early years, first as an ally, then as lead organizer in our youth work and later directing our Books Not Bars campaign. I am often amazed at how far we have come.

Even though we have grown and evolved, every single day, we work to build on what was started in that closet 15 years ago. The Ella Baker Center continues to challenge the injustice our communities face with campaigns that strive for a brighter future where all people and communities can thrive. Instead of basing policies on fear, we're building a society where decisions and laws are based on love and common concerns. We continue to emphasize the importance of people power and the belief that everyone has something important to contribute to the world.

Here are three simple ways that you can celebrate our anniversary today!

1. Get an Ella Baker Center t-shirt celebrating the legacy of Miss Baker, herself. Through a partnership with Liberation Ink, these shirts not only show your Ella Baker Center pride but also generate funds for our work.

2. Stand with us. Visit the Ella Baker Center Action Center and make sure you have taken action on our current campaigns to promote justice and opportunity in California and beyond.

3. Party with us at the 2011 Ellas. Join us for our annual celebration of inspiring social-change leaders.

As I reflect on the last fifteen years, it is clear that it is the people -- our allies, friends and partners -- who make my job such a blessing. Together we are creating the world our children will inherit.  A world that I can leave to my four daughters with more justice, opportunity and peace than when I entered it.

Thank you for being a crucial part of this work. Happy anniversary!