Thursday, March 19, 2026

Guest Opinion | School Board Member Dr. Yarma Velázquez Vargas: How to Honor Collective Struggle, Community Advocacy, and Educational Justice?

As we reflect on the legacy of labor movements and educational justice in our communities, we recognize that meaningful change has never been the result of a single individual. Rather, it is the product of collective struggle of workers, families, educators, and organizers who, together, have pushed forward the conditions for dignity, access, and opportunity.

While figures such as César Chávez and Dolores Huerta are often elevated in public memory, we must acknowledge that the successes attributed to movements are rooted in the sacrifices and leadership of many, often unnamed, individuals or even one monolithic community. It is collective work.

In this spirit, we should center not individuals, but the values and actions that have sustained these movements: community organizing, educational advocacy, cultural affirmation, and the ongoing fight for justice.

In Pasadena, this means committing ourselves to addressing the persistent racial and educational disparities that impact Latina and Black students. It means investing in programs that uplift families, honor linguistic and cultural diversity, and build long-term community leadership. Importantly, in a time of economic uncertainty, collective struggle is not just something we name; it is something we practice.

It means coming to the table willing to risk something and willing to listen. It means recognizing that progress requires sacrifice, not just in the abstract, but in real and tangible ways and that those sacrifices must be made with the well-being of the whole community.

Collective struggle requires us to understand that negotiation is not about one side winning and another losing. It is about everyone gaining something, even when the outcome does not reflect an ideal scenario for any one group. It asks us to approach the “why yes” with the same clarity, discipline, and passion as the “why not.”

We also recognize that those who serve in leadership, whether elected officials, educators, or organizers, are not beyond critique, sometimes we make personal mistakes, some unforgivable, or antagonize each other. None of us is perfect, we can stand in alignment on some issues while holding different views on others.

Last year I asked you to join me in advocacy. Today, I ask to move beyond symbolic recognition and toward sustained action. Let it affirm that the work of justice belongs to all of us, and that the strength of Pasadena is not in individuals, but in our collective commitment to one another.

If you are looking for a place to begin or deepen that engagement, I invite you to join Voces Unidas, a new parent group committed to building community and advocacy across Pasadena. Reach Voces Unidas through Facebook and voce_sunidas through Instagram.

Today, can choose to honor the work and recommit ourselves to building a better future for all students.

Yarma Velázquez Vargas, Ph.D. is PUSD Board of Education Trustee for District 7.