Sharon Maeda

Sharon Maeda

"Sharon learned about racial justice issues as a young child. Her uncle had spent much of WWII in federal prison because, as an attorney, he challenged the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066 that put 120,000 people of Japanese descent into American concentration camps and took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Maeda's career in education and communication has always been focused on providing access and information to diverse cultures. From being executive director for Pacifica Radio to serving in the Clinton Administration or the global mission board of the United Methodist Church, she has always felt that her responsibility was to working for equality and justice. As a member of the King County Commission on Governance in 2003 – 2004, she led efforts to change the criminal justice budget, which has been focused on incarcerating young men of color at a cost of 68% of the general budget."

• Secretary, Center for Social Justice