Brooklyn Williams is a California native raised mostly in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the daughter of a Mexican-American mother and African-American father, and is one of seven siblings. At the age of 14, Brooklyn lost her older sister who was murdered during a home invasion. The loss of her sister, along with the historic trauma her family experienced during the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, inspires Brooklyn to support families who have experienced trauma, and work towards violence prevention and social justice. She is also the mother of adolescent twin sons and considers them her ultimate gift and motivation.
Brooklyn is a graduate of UC Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare (BA, 2000) and School of Education (MA, 2010) and has worked in Bay Area public schools, community organizations, and youth development programs for over 20 years. Brooklyn specializes in program planning and development, professional development training for staff, as well as curriculum engineering with special focus on social and emotional intelligence, restorative justice, workforce development, and building youth leadership.
Brooklyn has supported alternative/continuation schools in Oakland and Alameda County for over 15 years and has been directing programs for youth involved in the juvenile justice system for over two decades. This includes serving as Program Director for Project Re-Connect and the Freedom School at Camp Wilmont Sweeney.
In her current role as East Bay Program Director for New Door Ventures, Brooklyn is leading a program expansion effort to bring additional employment readiness services to transition aged youth living in poverty and facing significant employment barriers. During a time when many black, brown, and asian pacific islander families are being priced out of their neighborhoods due to gentrification and the skyrocketing cost of living in the Bay Area, Brooklyn understands the importance of young people gaining 21st century transferable skills and contributing to their households’ ability to make ends meet.
Currently, Brooklyn is also serving as a member of the City of Oakland’s Reimagining Public Safety Task Force, where she advocates for increased social investments in youth and families, and supports the Youth Advisory Board.
With her passion for youth development and dedication to the community, Brooklyn appreciates the opportunity her work gives her to lead quality direct service efforts, as well as fight for systemic change.