This webinar provides insights on transportation equity from advocates and policymakers at the state and local levels. What does transportation equity look like in practice? What are the opportunities, resources, and best practices to help transportation agencies and local governments center equity in transportation planning and implementation? How can advocates, planners, and policymakers collaborate more effectively on equitable transportation policies and initiatives? How can planners and policymakers improve community engagement to be more inclusive of the people most impacted by transportation infrastructure investment?
For questions about this event, email Haley Ausserer-Zelaya.
Meet the Speakers
C. Sequoia Erasmus
Associate Deputy Director, Equity and Engagement
California Transportation Commission
Nailah Pope-Harden
Deputy Director, Equity & Tribal Affairs
Caltrans
Russell Dawson Rawlings
Statewide Community Manager
California Foundation for Independent Living Centers
This webinar series is generously sponsored by:
C. Sequoia Erasmus
C. Sequoia Erasmus (she/her) serves as the Associate Deputy Director of Equity and Engagement with the California Transportation Commission. In her role she supports and advises the Commission in its racial equity goals as they apply to policy, planning, and program development. Sequoia also co-facilitates and coordinates the Interagency Equity Advisory Committee with lead staff from Caltrans and CalSTA.
Sequoia has dedicated her career to improving community health outcomes, increasing access to open space and culturally relevant recreation opportunities, and advocating for safe and accessible opportunities to walk, bike, and roll. For the past 20 years, she has served greater Bay Area communities as an environmental and experiential educator, community health promoter, local government community engagement strategist and practitioner, and community herbalist. Sequoia earned dual master’s degrees in Transportation Technology and Policy and Community Development from UC Davis in 2021 where she focused her research on mobility justice, equitable transportation policy, and strategies for authentic allyship in racial equity movements.
In her free time, Sequoia loves to attend events and activities with her intersectional feminist skate collective, the Rich City Rollers, in Richmond, California.
Nailah Pope-Harden
Nailah Pope-Harden is the Deputy Director of Equity and Tribal Affairs at the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). In her role she is charged with directing the development and implementation of equity initiatives and strategies for our state’s transportation network.
Nailah has spent more than 15 years advocating for transportation justice, racial equity, environmental justice, and climate action. Her advocacy work spans across neighborhoods, regional, statewide, national and international campaigns. Nailah earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Government from California State University, Sacramento, and resides in south Sacramento with her five-year-old son. Together, they enjoy playing in the backyard, reading books, singing, and dancing. The throughline in Nailah’s personal and professional life is always ensuring her son has a healthy, safe, loving environment and future. She does this by building community everywhere she goes, learning from those around her, and being open to (transformative) change.
Russell Dawson Rawlings
Russell first developed a passion for disability rights advocacy after serving for seven years as President of DOGFITE (Disability Organizing Group For Initiating Total Equality), a Sacramento-area disability advocacy group established in the early 2000’s at Resources for Independent Living (RIL). While educated in the Independent Living Movement through his nearly 20-year experience as both a leader and facilitator with DOGFITE advocates, Russell was introduced to the transformational power of community organizing as an early participant in Occupy Sacramento and developed a deep commitment to accessible, affordable housing advocacy and intersectional anti-poverty community organizing.
Russell has previously served as Chair of the Sacramento City Disabilities Advisory Commission, Vice-Chair of the Disability Action Coalition (DAC), and board member of Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness. He is also a graduate of Sierra Health Foundation’s Health Leadership Program (Class XV) and Sacramento’s Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI).
Russell is honored to serve as CFILC’s Statewide Community Manager, overseeing the Disability Organizing Network (DOnetwork) and providing direction for CFILC’s community organizing strategies across programs. His personal organizing philosophy centers around the promotion and development of Disabled leaders willing to influence power to achieve an equitable, accessible transformational justice for all people. In short, Russell believes Disability community leaders must be at the forefront of a progressive society, because barriers to access are also barriers to progress.
Russell lives with his fiancée and their ever-present canine companion, Sammie. When not working, he can be found catching a local Sacramento music or comedy show, and occasionally performing improv or karaoke.