Emma Mayerson is the Program Director of
Bay Area based program Alliance for Girls, which links local groups to create a
unified voice for the advancement and improvement of girls lives in California.
A long time organizer, she has worked on initiatives involving literacy,
community building, and labor rights, in addition to consistently working with
groups aiming to improve the lives of girls and women. But where did Emma
Mayerson find the inspiration to devote her life to improving the lives of
others? She says her family was a huge influence in her decision to take
leadership roles in community organizing and development.
Growing up in Berkeley, CA, Emma Mayerson
was exposed from an early age to the Bay Area’s penchant for community
organizing. Her family in particular was very involved in community building.
Emma Mayerson’s father has made a career out of working with at-risk youth, and
her mother is a lawyer who focuses on disability rights. In addition, her
grandfather’s foundation, the Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation, funded
the creation of an accessible park in Northern Israel designed for use by
adults and children with physical disabilities.
Emma Mayerson also found inspiration from
her grandfather in terms of bridging gaps between generations. Realizing how
much younger generations can learn from community elders, Emma Mayerson
initiated a program through the Jewish Coalition for Literacy in San Francisco
that linked Jewish elders and youth to provide reading lessons and build
relationships across age lines. In her activist work since then, Emma Mayerson
has focused on bridging gaps. At Tufts University, Emma Mayerson helped form an
alliance between janitors and students to lobby for labor improvements, and is
today the Program Director of Alliance for Girls. As Program Director, Emma
Mayerson uses her experience in building relationships to bring
together an assortment of girls’ organizations, ranging from outdoor adventure
activities to health care providers.
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