JC Staff
Loyda Colón
Loyda Colon is a Nuyorican, born and raised in the projects of the Lower East Side. They have been an organizer and activist for over two decades, fighting for freedom for all people, including through struggles for racial justice, rights of LGBT and gender nonconforming people, economic justice, and against police and state violence. Loyda first joined the Justice Committee as a member in the 2006, served as Co-Coordinator, and became full-time staff as JC's Co-Director in 2013. Loyda initiated JC's copwatch program, which helped to form NYC's Cop Watch Alliance; and leads JC program work, including organizing families whose loved ones were murdered by police, integrating healing practice in the organizing, leadership development of members, and digital and social media platforms. Prior to coming on staff full-time with the Justice Committee, Loyda's experience included serving as the first staff member/Interim Campaign Coordinator of Communities United for Police Reform (CPR); Coordinator of the Coalition for Community Safety at the Center for Constitutional Rights; Coordinator of The Audre Lorde Project's organizing work against police & state violence; and Coordinator of ALP's first LGBTST youth organizing program.
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Maria Luisa Ramirez
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Development Coordinator
Email: Maria@justicecommittee.org
Maria Ramirez is a first generation Latinx American, activist, trainer, facilitator, Spanish-English interpreter, and fundraiser. She is the product of the Newburgh Enlarged City School district, a graduate of SUNY New Paltz, and life-long Hudson Valley Resident with extensive ties to New York City's social and racial justice movements. She is a Board member of an award-winning non-profit, Swish Ally Fund and previously co-founded and was the Executive Director of the Newburgh LGBTQ+ Center. She is an ex-Marble Meathead (at a local queer w) and forklift driver. She brings to the Justice Committee over eight years of experience creating and facilitating LGBTQ+ centered spaces and a lifetime of experience navigating racist and discriminatory state systems and advocating for marginalized communities.
Yul-san Liem
Yul-san has been taking it to the streets, raising funds, and making art as part of New York City's social and racial justice movements since 2001. She is currently the Justice Committee's Director of Development and Operations, after serving as a JC Co-Director from 2012-2021 and a volunteer and consultant prior to that. During her time as Justice Committee staff, Yul-san helped to found and lead the citywide CopWatch Alliance and the multi-sector campaign, Communities United for Police Reform - for which she sat on its Steering Committee and Executive Committee and co-chaired its Community Empowerment Working Group. In the past Yul-san has been a staff member and consultant for Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities, and the Audre Lorde Project. From 2003-2010 she served as Co-Coordinator and artist for the multimedia exhibit, Still Present Pasts, Korean American and the “Forgotten War.”
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Gabby Cuesta
Storytelling Project Consultant
Gabrielle Cuesta (she/they) is an educator, creator, and facilitator of reciprocal learning. As a queer cis-femme of Puerto Rican and Italian ancestry with white skin and class privilege, Gabrielle is committed to a process of unlearning the embodiment of White Supremacist, Capitalist, and Patriarchical values while relearning the values tied to ancestral healing and liberatory practices. As someone who loves movement, nature, and building community Gabrielle has served as a camp counselor, organizer of youth programs, lecturer of social justice classes, and is a proud member of the Justice Committee.
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Chauvet Bishop
Chauvet Bishop is an Organizer, Massage Therapist, Reiki Practitioner, Poet and Host of Open Room at Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Chauvet has organized around Police Brutality, LGBTQ Rights, Healing Justice, Tenants/Housing Rights, and other social justice issues that impact BIPOC, poor and working class struggle. Chauvet balances an in-home massage practice, reiki, and organizing wellness spaces for community events with the Audre Lorde Project. She received her massage therapy training from Swedish Institute and began practicing in 2011. Since graduating from the Swedish Institute, Chauvet gained experience in Spas, Wellness Centers, and Gyms and has also brought her massage skills to businesses, parties and backstage for various performances around NYC as well as a Justice Committee Healing Retreat for families who've lost loved ones to the NYPD. Chauvet joined JC's staff in January 2023.
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