Los Angeles, CA - On Wednesday, May 05, CAUSE held the fourth session of the 2021 Leadership Institute virtually on Zoom.
The fourth session focused on “Race & Politics in LA” featuring Dr. Raphael Sonenshein, Executive Director, Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles.
Dr. Sonenshein shared a brief history of the political climate in California, offering insight into how people, public opinion, and community organizing has shifted over time. He and the fellows engaged in thoughtful dialogue on possible concerns with engaging the Asian Pacific American community and ways to address them, including topics like anti-Asian fear, the impact of disaggregated data, and ways leaders can be more inclusive to the diverse APA community.
The conversation ended with words of encouragement from Dr. Sonenshein, who shared that the fellows can build efforts through making meaningful connections with just 20-50 people. He pointed out that they each have skills that make them fitting leaders for the needs of the APA community now, reminding them that they don’t have to wait for the “right moment” because,
“the right time to run [for office] is whenever you feel like running”.
The CAUSE Leadership Institute (CLI) is a community leadership and advocacy training certificate program for high-potential professionals with seasoned leadership experience and a passion for serving the needs of the APA community in California. Participants complete the program armed with the skills and connections vital to advocate for the APA community. Graduates of this program have gone on to change the civic landscape in the region through elected office and leadership roles in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The 2021 program will be held virtually using Zoom.
Our program is highly selective and each member of our cohort is selected based on their leadership abilities, public service, and community involvement. Program fellows are identified by leading elected officials, select nonprofit partner organizations, CAUSE Board Members, and CAUSE Alumni.
Read more about this year’s Leadership Institute cohort here.