2023 Night Out Program
Check out this year's travel auction offerings!!!
HONOREES
Luminary Award - Senator Durazo
María Elena was born the seventh child in a family of eleven children to migrant worker parents. Growing up, María Elena traveled with her family, following the crops throughout California and Oregon, and experiencing the exploitative conditions and hardships that migrant laborers suffer.
In spite of these obstacles, María Elena attended St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California, and graduated in 1975. In college she became involved in the Chicano Movement at the urging of her older brother. Then she entered the labor movement as an organizer for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (later called UNITE, the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees).
While working as a union organizer, she pursued an education in law at the People’s College of Law and earned her degree in 1985.
By 1987, María Elena was ready to lead a drive by the rank and file of HERE Local 11 to make the union more responsive to its majority-Latino membership. The organizing drive successfully instituted a shop steward system that educated the rank and file on their rights, workers were now able to participate in negotiating their union contracts and all meetings and publications were from then on bilingual.
In 2004, she became the Executive Vice President of UNITE-HERE International, the organization made up of the UNITE and HERE unions which had merged.
In 2008, María Elena Durazo served as the Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee and as National Co-Chair of the Barack Obama Presidential Campaign.
From 2006 through 2014, she was the first woman Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, the second largest labor council in the country and served on the National AFL-CIO Executive Council.
Besides her union work, María Elena has served on many civic commissions and boards. Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley appointed her to the Los Angeles Commission on Airports, Mayor Richard Riordan appointed her to the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Committee and she has also served on the California State Coastal Commission.
Community Award - Afro-Play
Ellen D. Hamilton is the Co-Founder and Creative Operations Director for Afro-Play Family Consulting. A wife and mother to four young children, a Deep East Oakland native and natural community leader. Her background stems from being a singer and non-profit arts organization HR/Finance Manager. In 2018, along with two other Oakland native parents; fully pregnant with her 4th child, Ellen developed Afro-Play as a 9-week pilot-session program under Lotus Bloom Family Resource Center which serves Deep East Oakland’s Castlemont neighborhood at Room to Bloom Family Resource Center. The program was a success and since has thrived under Lotus Bloom’s incubation, serving families identifying under the African Diaspora. Ellen takes extreme pride in Oakland and loves connecting Black Oakland Families together. She loves planting seeds of creativity, hope, love and light into the lives of young growing Oaklanders. Her vision is to one day grow Afro-Play into its own Family Resource Center in the heartbeat of Oakland – East Oakland
Ajhana DeRamous is the Co-Founder and Black Family Resource Director for Afro-Play. A wife and mother of two with roots in Oakland. She is passionate about her community and working together in culturally responsive ways to ensure equity for Black families and healing around maternal health. In 2018, along with two other Oakland native parents; Ajhana developed Afro-Play as a 9-week pilot-session program under Lotus Bloom Family Resource Center which services Deep East Oakland’s Castlemont neighborhood at Room to Bloom Family Resource Center. The program was gratefully received by the community and Ajhana was offered a teacher position for multicultural and developmental playgroups as well and later promoted to Family Navigator. Her vision is to continue to grow Afro-Play into its own Black Family Resource Center with a hub in East Oakland while offering its magic throughout the diaspora.
Corporate Award - Room & Board
EMCEE & ENTERTAINMENT
EMCEE
Vanessa Rochelle Lewis (MFA) born and raised in South Central, Los Angeles, is a Queer, Fat, Black, Femme performer, facilitator, educator, writer, activist, healer, joyful weirdo, and Faerie Princess Mermaid Gangsta for The Revolution. Vanessa is the Founding Director of Reclaim UGLY: Uplift Glorify Love Yourself – And Create A World Where Others Can As Well! Her vision is to co-create a world where everyone knows that they are a safe, welcomed, and valued member of their communities; has the support to dream authentically and exist in their truths; and accepts that there is no face, no body, and no person who is ugly or unworthy of love and acceptance.
DJ
Raised and based in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area, Olga T is the premiere female DJ of the northern California women’s and queer club scene and is known for never disappointing when she takes control of the decks. Olga T is known for having perfect crowd reading precision, passionate energy and flawless transitions that always generate a happy and packed dance floor. A loyal vinyl head and always true to the original art form of DJing, using digital tools solely to enhance her phenomenal spontaneous sets, Olga T is masterfully explosive in each and every performance. If you haven’t experienced DJ Olga T in action, you’ve been missing out on an incredible party experience!
Queer Taiko is “a diverse group of LGBTQIAs and allies committed to building community and visibility through Japanese taiko drumming.” Based in Oakland California, the group was founded by Kristy Oshiro in 2013.
Queer Taiko centers folks with LGBTQ+ identities; through their participation in events like Pride as well provides spaces that celebrate and provide visibility to these communities.
SPONSORS
FRIENDS OF DOROTHY
RUBY SLIPPERS
EMERALD CITY
TIN MAN'S HEART
