Jessica Guadalupe Tovar

Email: jessica@cbecal.org

Jessica Tovar is originally from Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles.  The housing projects which she grew up in are directly across the street from an industrial city known as the City of Vernon. 

In early 2002 her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She knew it had to do with the pollution in the community where her family lived and worked.  She believes in the prevention of cancer and other illnesses is more effective than to spend money on a cure that will only be available to the privileged.  This is why she chose to work for environmental justice and seek alternatives to polluting industry.

Jessica studied Sustainability & Social Justice at SFSU, then interned with the Environmental Justice and Climate Change initiative in 2003 where she learned how Climate Change is affecting poor people of color around the United States and the rest of the world.  Since then she has helped organize and train various people in urban, rural and indigenous communities throughout the Southwest.  Jessica currently serves on the Board for the Data Center which is a non-profit that empowers communities with research to strengthen their campaigns.