Neelam currently volunteers as CSU’s Executive Director. She has written articles for and edited several community publications including The Black Panther Intercommunal News Service. She is a founding member of the Healthy School Food Coalition, the Los Angeles Food Justice Coalition and the California Food Justice Coalition.

Katie Peterson, Board Secretary

Katie Peterson has been a volunteer with CSU periodically since about 2006, assisting at several of the garden sites, helping at events, networking on behalf of CSU, and acquiring donations for fundraising events. She holds a B.S. in Anthropology and a Minor in Writing from Illinois State University and, in 2005, completed a master’s degree in urban planning from University of Southern California. Since January, 2006, she has worked professionally as a land use planner with the City of Los Angeles in the City Planning Department in both current and long-term planning. Katie has a longstanding interest in local food systems work. She has been involved with American Planning Association and the local Planners Network and has worked to promote understanding amongst planners of the importance of a local, healthy food system and its links with land use planning, including organizing a California APA conference panel featuring CSU staff. Previously, she worked for a non-profit documentary film production organization in all aspects of filmmaking and still holds a strong interest in documentary film, as well as in writing.

B. Kwaku Duren, CSU Founder & Attorney, Law Offices of B. Kwaku Duren

Kwaku is a volunteer Professor/Remedies Instructor at the Peoples’ College of Law (PCL) from which he graduated in 1989, and the current PCL Board Chairman. He has a community-based general law practice based in South Central Los Angeles with the majority of his cases involving criminal representation and civil rights litigation. His law practice has been a major source of financial support for CSU’s programs. He also functions as a volunteer Settlement Officer for the Federal District Court and Mediator/Arbitrator for the Los Angeles Superior Court. Kwaku is a founding member/Chair of the New Panther Vanguard Movement, www.globalpanther.com , and the principal author of Our Case for an Intercommunal Reparations Campaign. Kwaku is also active in the local and international African and Afro-descendants Reparations Movement.

Genethia Hudley-Hayes, Honorary Board Member Education Consultant

From 1999-2003 Genethia served as Los Angeles Unified School District Board member for District 1 (incorporating CSU’s service area) and served as board president for 2 years. She brought many years of experience as a teacher, curriculum specialist and community activist to the position. During this time she authored several important motions including the African American Learners’ Initiative. Passed in 2003, the policy seeks to close the achievement gap between African American and other students of color and their white counterparts. Explicit in the Initiative is the need to redress the inequitable distribution of resources within LAUSD, both human and fiscal. Genethia also co-authored the Health Beverages Motion, which had positive repercussions in school districts around the country. Genethia is a veteran of the civil rights movement and has served as Programs Director and Executive Director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She is currently on the Los Angeles Mayor’s Fire Commission.

Anjali Nath

Anjali Nath is a doctoral candidate at USC in American Studies and Ethnicity with a designated emphasis on Visual Culture. She has also done labor and community research in Los Angeles, working formerly with the Service Employees International Union. Her areas of interest include social documentary, economic justice, and education. Anjali has volunteered with CSU since 2005. She is a local resident and an avid enthusiast of healthy eating and the culinary arts, yoga, and reading.