Sonia Lewis | SpeakerHub

Personal Details

Bio

Sonia Lewis is a native of California and since the age of 7 she has challenged systems that discriminate against people based on race and economic status when in the 2nd grade she refused to say the “Pledge of Allegiance.” A graduate of Spelman College of Atlanta, GA, Sonia holds a dual BA degree in History and Psychology. Sonia went on to further her education by earning a Secondary Teaching Credential and a Master’s degree in Education from San Francisco State University. Sonia spent more than 20 years in the traditional classroom teaching Social Studies and managing a small magnet program that focused on Criminal Justice. During her time with the Criminal Justice Academy, Sonia saw first-hand the flaws in law enforcement training and implicit bias interaction with the Black community. The deaths of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown and Sandra Bland led to Sonia joining and becoming a leader in the Sacramento chapter of Black Lives Matter. She is currently a lead community abolitionist with The Liberation Collective for Black Sacramento (TLC4BlackSac).

At the height of the recession in 2009, Sonia left the traditional classroom and started ASCRIBE Educational Consulting, a business focusing on bridging the gaps of inequity for Black students. While on this journey, Sonia has been on a mission to marry education and what it means to be a social justice activist, with the goal of preparing future generations to advocate and fight for equity, representation, justice, and reparations. In pursuit of Black liberation, Sonia has been instrumental in Sacramento with organizing and leading the movement as a chapter lead with Black Lives Matter Sacramento, now TLC4BlackSac. Sonia is an extended family member of Stephon Clark and has been on the frontlines of efforts to hold law enforcement accountable and move for transparency and equity in Sacramento and throughout the state of California from the passing of local ordinances and state legislation to demanding a seat at the table with the intention of demanding respect for the Black community. In this moment of the movement, Sonia is striving to not only be a change agent but a moral witness as we abolish the old normatives of white supremacy while rebuilding humanity where Black lives actually matter.

Her work in the community includes but is not limited to focusing on how to eliminate blatant/inherent racism and implicit biases, as they affect EVERYTHING including the school to prison pipeline, police brutality and murder, excessive bail and sentencing, gentrification, unemployment and the lack of health care access and so much more. Often compared to the speaking presence of Fannie Lou Hamer and direct actions of Harriet Tubman, Sonia will fight you literally and figuratively so that all of our places in places in American history are valued as important.

Current position (2)

Owner

ASCRIBE Educational Consulting

Owner

EDIFY Humanity

Degrees (2)

History Psychology

Spelman College

1989 to 1993

Education

San Francisco State University

1997 to 1999

Presentations

Presentations (6)

Women of Color Contingency Sacramento, Pre Women's March Rally

I was asked to empower young women of color, by sharing how I became an activist, focusing on the importance of voice and agency. The theme of my message was "we are enough," and no longer is it appropriate for us to silence ourselves and bow our heads to systems intent on oppressing us. I speak in the spirit of Harriet Tubman and Fannie Lou Hammer, ready to free us from the mental conditioning of slavery because too many of us are sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Annual Feature Speaker - Reclaim MLK Day Sacramento

In an era where King's legacy is co-opted and commercialized, many are unaware when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was alive, he was public enemy number one. He was arrested over 30 times and was the target of law enforcement attacks in every state and every city he travels in pursuit of civil rights. It is always my mission to inspire the crowd to activate their activism and be more King-like....staunchly opposed to war, poverty, and capitalism. It is in this space that we are able to motivate our community members to be more RADICAL, REBELLIOUS, and REVOLUTIONARY in this fight for Black LIBERATION.

Several Press Interviews in the Aftermath of Stephon Clark's murder

Highlighting and exposing the inconsistencies in the lack of accountability and transparency of officer-involved shootings, especially when Black bodies and/or communities are on the receiving end of historical and intentional trauma and oppression. Our intent was to shape the narrative of who Stephon Clark and the community of Meadowview were. I also drew attention to the ways in which law enforcement is unnecessarily militarized in Black communities and residents live in constant fear that the war will explode at their door or backyard. We were determined as a community to change local ordinances and state legislation to better serve those who are the most marginalized and vulnerable.

Feature Speaker - White Coats for Black Lives, UC Davis Medical School Chapter

Many in the medical profession have been screaming about the glaring disparities with respects to Black bodies and acts of violence. I have partnered with this annual effort to shine a light on how state-sanctioned and sponsored violence at the hands of law enforcement is out of control and often times goes unchecked. Our demonstration of chalked body outlines, while sharing data and statistics, coupled with echoing the names of victims leaves a lasting impression on those pursuing careers in the medical profession. I remind them that Michael Brown's body was left in the middle of the street on a hot summer day for hours, while emergency medical services sat by.

Featured Speaker - Council of Writing Program Administrator's 2018 Conference

To an audience of college writing professors/administrators, I spoke on the importance of shaping curriculum to draw upon student lived experiences, rather than strict rubrics centering just grammar and writing style. We explored the dichotomy of race coupled with socio-economic status, concluding all students don't arrive on college campuses with the same preparation. It's important for not just race and socio-economic status to be considered but culture and linguistic norms as well. Required entry-level English and writing courses often times weed out minority students, and we dove into the why limited success is reflective of drop out rates. I used my own personal college experience as an example of how performing low on an entrance exam lead to me taking remedial reading. I challenged them to center the most marginalized, for the enrichment of shared learning experiences. As an investment in Black, Brown, and poor students directly confronts issues like racism, privilege, etc.

Featured Speaker - University of Colorado Boulder, Diversity & Inclusion Summit

This discussion examined the need to make room for student voice and agency when issues of educational inequity are met with protest. I referenced Dr. Beverly Tatum's work, "Why Do the Black Kids Sit Together in the Cafeteria," because too often college campuses fail to provide a nurturing learning environment for students of color. We dissected data and statistics that clearly penalize students of color when they fight for agency and a seat at the table, unlike their white peers. The disenfranchisement of students of color is a real thing, and those of us in positions of influence have a responsibility to help them succeed not only academically but with building legacy and fostering humanity. College is the perfect place to transcend microaggression, sexism, phobias, implict biases and so much more, Unlike the K-12 system, college can level up the concept of freedom of speech, a measurement of advocacy to counter campus conflict, hence the importance of access and representation.