This year, we lost two very special people in our community.
James Bell was a beloved Mesa Refuge alum, a board member, and a tireless advocate for bettering the racial and ethnic disparities in the administration of the youth justice system. He began as an attorney representing youth in juvenile court before founding the W. Haywood Burns Institute, an Oakland-based nonprofit that seeks to root out racial disparities in our public systems and prioritizes youth well-being. James also advised cities and countries throughout the world to create a bold new vision for youth. He died in April.
Another beloved alum, Malcolm Margolin, was an author and publisher, and founder of Heyday Books. He also co-founded two magazines: News from Native California, a quarterly devoted to California Indian history and culture, and Bay Nature, a quarterly devoted to the natural world of the Bay Area. He died in August.
James and Malcolm, you will be missed and remembered with gratitude and love.
