Beerman Foundation Fellows
for Peace and Justice

Carlos Alarcón is an immigrant rights advocate dedicated to expanding access and equity for undocumented Californians. He immigrated from Mexico at age five and has spent his career addressing systemic barriers faced by immigrant communities.

Carlos has led multiple statewide coalitions, securing over $15 million for California’s public higher education institutions to support undocumented students. He currently leads the statewide Health4All campaign, which has expanded Medicaid access to all residents regardless of immigration status. His work focuses on ensuring equitable access to healthcare, housing, and resources for immigrant communities, advocating for policies that uphold dignity and opportunity for all Californians.

Reverend Dr. Jonathan Z. Butler is a pastor, theologian, and community leader. He serves as Senior Pastor of Jerusalem Baptist Church in San Francisco, where he emphasizes faith-rooted ministry, social justice, and community engagement. Dr. Butler is President & Health Committee Chair of the San Francisco NAACP, Chair of the San Francisco Homelessness Oversight Commission, President of the San Francisco African American Faith-Based Coalition, and Associate Director of the Black Health Initiative at UCSF, advocating for civil rights, public health, and equitable access to resources.

He holds a Ph.D. in Medical Sociology from Howard University, specializing in the intersection of religion and health outcomes in Black communities, and has conducted research at UCSF on religion and cardiovascular disease. Throughout his career, Dr. Butler has combined pastoral leadership, academic expertise, and public service to foster multi-generational, community-centered ministry and social transformation.

Multiethnic Arab/Mizrahi and Ashkenazi Jewish organizer working for safety and dignity beyond racial capitalism, policing, prisons, and violence. Capital Strategies Manager at the Center for Economic Democracy, Co-Coordinator of the Community Safety Campaign, and Steering Committee Chair of the Jewish Liberation Fund

Educator and activist of Ashkenazi Jewish and Egyptian Muslim heritage. Board member of NCJW | LA, NewGround Fellowship alum, former public school educator and union leader working to advance education justice

Mohsen Mahdawi is a Palestinian activist and advocate for human rights and justice. Born in Al-Far’a refugee camp near Jenin, he experienced life under occupation before arriving in the United States at age twenty-four. Mahdawi co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia University and helped organize the Apartheid Divest coalition, uniting over 100 student organizations in support of Palestinian rights.

He has spoken in more than 100 venues—including schools, religious institutions, and community centers—promoting nonviolence, dialogue, and human rights, and currently pursues a master’s degree in Diplomacy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Doctoral student researching the intersections between Islam and politics, with the intent of entering the fields of policy advising and collegiate teaching

Community organizer of LA Supporters of Standing Together. Jerusalem-born and living in Los Angeles, engaged in bringing people together for peace in Israel-Palestine through technology and dialogue

Marissa Montes is the Founder and Director of Loyola Law School’s Immigrant Justice Clinic (LIJC), a community-based clinic in partnership with Homeboy Industries and Dolores Mission Church. She also serves as a professor at Loyola, teaching immigration law and practical skills courses, and created the Immigration Law and Border Practicum, which provides law students with hands-on experience representing immigrants in removal proceedings.

Montes is establishing Loyola’s Binational Migrant Advocacy Project (BMAP), the first U.S. law school clinic operating in partnership with Mexican Jesuit universities to serve migrants in transit, deportees, and their families, while training law students on both sides of the border. She has held numerous civil rights and policy appointments, testified before the California State Assembly, and been recognized as a Top Young Lawyer by the ABA and an HNBA Top Lawyer under 40.

Palestinian-Canadian medical student at St. George’s University; supporter of coalition-building between Palestinians and Jews; board member of Tomorrow’s Women, dedicated to empowering young women leaders to create change

Spiritual activist and community organizer working to integrate anti-racist behaviors and culture in communities

Karely Amaya Rios is a first-generation Latina law student at CUNY School of Law and a dedicated immigrant rights advocate. Rooted in grassroots organizing, she co-founded the Immigrant Justice in Action Coalition and leads the Opportunity for All Campaign in California, working to advance equity, access, and justice for immigrant communities. Rios has organized campaigns and initiatives to protect the rights of immigrants and amplify marginalized voices, combining her legal training with community-based advocacy to effect systemic change and empower underrepresented populations.

Justin Jones is a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing Nashville’s 52nd District. He received his B.A. from Fisk University and has worked as an educator, community organizer, and activist focused on social justice, civil rights, and democratic engagement. He co-founded the “People’s Plaza,” a 62-day demonstration advocating for police accountability and reform, and has led campaigns addressing gun violence, voting rights, housing equity, and environmental justice. Through his legislative work, Justin continues to advocate for policies that expand access, protect vulnerable communities, and strengthen democratic participation.

Shammas Malik is the 63rd Mayor of Akron, Ohio. Born and raised in Akron, he returned home after earning his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University and his law degree from Harvard Law School. Malik began his public service as Assistant Director of Law for the City of Akron and later served as the elected City Council representative for Ward 8.

During his time in office, he has focused on strengthening community trust, advancing equitable policies, and improving city services. His work has included efforts to address housing challenges, promote environmental sustainability, and implement recommendations from Akron’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Task Force.

Public health nurse, political activist, and researcher focusing on health equity and improving pregnancy outcomes for Black women and gender expansive people

Rev. Edward “Eddie” Anderson is an ordained minister, civil rights activist, and community organizer. He serves as Senior Pastor of McCarty Memorial Christian Church in Los Angeles and as Co-Chair of the California Poor People’s Campaign. Anderson is the co-founder of Clergy4BlackLives and the Partnership for Growth Los Angeles Community Development Corporation, and a regional organizer for LA Voice (PICO).

Anderson has served on multiple boards and commissions, including LAHSA, the Los Angeles Redistricting Commission, and the National Convocation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Jeanelle Austin is Executive Director of Rise and Remember and engages the work of racial justice through memorial preservation. She earned an MDiv in Ethics and an MA in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. Her recent honors include 2021 Activist in Residence at the Center for Work and Democracy at Arizona State University, 2022 Community Visionary for the Liberal Arts Engagement Hub at the University of Minnesota, and 2022 Leonard I. Beerman Foundation Fellow. She consults and speaks nation-wide on various topics as they intersect with race in America. She is a current candidate for MN State Senate in District 62 in the 2026 election cycle.

Ju Hong is an immigration justice advocate, organizer, and Director of the UCLA Dream Resource Center who has helped shape national conversations on immigrant rights, Asian undocumented visibility, and immigrant youth leadership for over a decade.

Director, Mayors for a Guaranteed Income

Former Director, Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is an author, educator, and social justice activist. He is the Founder and President of the Orthodox social justice movement Uri L’Tzedek and the progressive Orthodox rabbinic association Torat Chayim, as well as Founder and President of Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy and YATOM: The Jewish Foster & Adoption Network. He serves as President & Dean of the Valley Beit Midrash. Rabbi Yanklowitz has written extensively on Jewish ethics, spirituality, and social justice. He has led programs and taught across the globe and has represented the Jewish community at the World Economic Forum in Geneva and Davos.

Founder, IfNotNow

Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of the Comptroller, NYC

Svante Myrick is the President of People For the American Way, where he leads efforts to strengthen democracy, advance racial and social equity, and elect progressive leaders at all levels of government. Previously, he served for ten years as mayor of Ithaca, New York, where he became the youngest-ever mayor and implemented innovative public health and harm reduction policies, including the internationally recognized Ithaca Plan.

Myrick is a recognized leader in progressive governance and civic engagement, a former executive director of People For’s youth programs, and a recipient of the John F. Kennedy Frontier Award and the Barbara Jordan Leadership Award.

Editor, Jewish Currents

Rachel Sumekh is the CEO of TEN: Together Ending Need and the founder of Swipe Out Hunger, a leading nonprofit addressing college student hunger. Under her leadership, Swipe Out Hunger has partnered with hundreds of universities, providing millions of meals to food-insecure students. She authored the Hunger-Free Campus Act, which has passed in multiple states, directing tens of millions of dollars to campus anti-hunger programs.

Sumekh began her career as an AmeriCorps case manager serving those facing poverty and has been recognized by the Obama White House as a “Champion of Change” and by Forbes 30 Under 30.

Michael Tubbs is the founder of End Poverty in California (EPIC), Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI), and Tubbs Ventures. Tubbs served as the seventy-ninth mayor of Stockton, California, his hometown, from 2017–2021. He was the city's first Black mayor and the youngest-ever mayor of a major American city. Tubbs has also served as a Stockton city council member and a high school educator. He has been a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics, The MIT Media Lab, and the Stanford Design School. He is the author of The Deeper The Roots: A Memoir of Hope and Home.