“ Parents stand in full solidarity with UTR because we want a school district that honors its responsibility and invests in our children's future.” - Zelon Harrison

WCCUSD Candidate Zelon Harrison Represents West County at National Reparations Symposium in Chicago

December 2025 | West County News
“Freedom Begins in the Classroom.”

This week, WCCUSD Area 4 School Board candidate Zelon Harrison is in Chicago representing West County at the 2025 National Symposium for State and Local Reparations, one of the nation’s most influential gatherings on racial justice, education equity, and government accountability. She joins the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII) delegation, bringing West County’s voice to a national stage.

The Symposium convenes national leaders, public-health experts, organizers, and advocates working to advance reparations efforts across cities and states. For Zelon, the invitation is not just an honor—it is a direct reflection of her ongoing work to transform educational systems through justice-centered, healing-centered, and community-rooted leadership.

West County Teachers Strike While Parents Report Trustees Admit They Haven’t Read the Contract

As Zelon participates in national conversations on reparations, West County teachers, families, and students are navigating a strike during the coldest week in 103 years. The strike has pushed longstanding issues in WCCUSD to the surface—including public concern after parents report that some School Board members admitted they have not read the current teacher contracts.

Zelon spoke from Chicago about the urgency at home:

"This week, our West County teachers, parents, and students had to strike during the coldest week in 103 years. As parents and educators, we stand fully aware of the systemic harm affecting our students, while School Board members publicly admit they have not even read the same contracts in place for teachers that I have read as a parent."

As a mother, advocate, and policy author, I know that justice begins with education.”
— Zelon Harrison

Her words underscore what many West County families already know: We are at a pivotal moment for our community. Leadership must come from residents who both understand the system and can use the urgency of our lived experiences to drive solutions into policy.

A Record of Community-Rooted Leadership

Zelon’s attendance at the national symposium highlights her role as a respected advocate for justice in education. Her leadership spans school district committees, statewide policy bodies, and community-based organizations. As a West Contra Costa resident, Zelon currently serves as:

• Chair, African American Site Advisory Team (AASAT) Executive Board

• Member-at-Large, District Local Control Accountability Plan (DLCAP) Executive Board

• Chair, NAACP Richmond Branch Education Committee

• Founding Chair, Contra Costa County Black Parallel School Board

• Nontraditional Black Wellness Healer and community health practitioner

Her campaign for WCCUSD, Area 4, centers on building safe, equitable, culturally grounded learning environments; a commitment strengthened by years of work at the intersection of racial justice, mental health, parenting empowerment, and family-centered advocacy.

“Educational Justice Is Reparative Justice.”

During the Symposium, Zelon will participate in sessions focused on:

• Restorative education policy

• Community-driven reparations

• Black maternal and child health

• Educational equity

• Culturally grounded healing practices

Her message remains clear:

“Educational justice is reparative justice. When schools honor our children, support our families, and invest in factual healing, they become engines of liberation. I am committed to bringing justice in education to WCCUSD.”

For Zelon, this work is both personal and political; as a mother, a community advocate, and a leader deeply rooted in West County’s families.

Stay Connected to the Movement for #JusticeInEducation

Families across West County are encouraged to stay connected and join the movement to bring accountable, justice-centered leadership to the WCCUSD School Board in 2026.

Follow the campaign:
📌 Socials: www.facebook.com/VoteZelon + www.instagram.com/votezelon

📌 Website: www.votezelon.org

📌 Campaign Slogan: Freedom Begins in the Classroom.

MEDIA CONTACT

Kira Lee
Campaign Manager | #VoteZelon for 2026 WCCUSD School Board, Area 4
Phone: (510) 630-2026 | Email: [email protected]