Brightline Announces the Dr. Espanola Jackson Fellowship

An environmental justice (EJ) non-profit founded in 2005, Brightline proudly presents the Dr. Espanola Jackson Postgraduate Legal Fellowship to begin in late summer 2016. A longtime community leader often known as “the Godmother of Bayview-Hunters Point,” Dr. Espanola Jackson fought for environmental justice in San Francisco’s communities most in need. Brightline was honored to work with her on issues ranging from solar for low-income communities to local hiring policies for unemployed residents often ignored in economic development booms. 

Remembered as a tenacious advocate, Dr. Jackson passed away at the age of 82 on January 24, 2016. On March 8, 2016, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and General Manager Harlan Kelly have also issued a resolution recognizing Dr. Jackson for her extraordinary achievements. 

Inspired by many community advocates such as Dr. Jackson, Brightline works to create sustainable environments and empower communities. Our EJ campaigns often focus on renewable energy, green job creation, and local hiring policies. In order to guarantee strong jobs outcomes and environmental wins for low-income communities and communities of color, Brightline has long worked with grassroots community activists and job training service providers in San Francisco and throughout California. This engagement with diverse stakeholders would not be possible without the hiring of an extraordinary postgraduate legal fellow who understands policy advocacy on multiple levels of government. 

“With Brightline's work having stretched from coast to coast, Legal Fellow Dilini Lankachandra has been essential to our work with the grassroots and beyond,” said Eddie Ahn, Brightline’s executive director. “With her anticipated move to the East Coast in the fall, we’ll miss her - and in the words of Mama Jackson, we can only hope our future legal fellow will ‘pick up the sword’ as well as she has done.” 

This position is intended for a recent law school graduate (a current 3L student expecting to take the California Bar Examination in Summer 2016) or a California Bar-certified attorney with demonstrated commitment to low-income communities and communities of color in the United States. More information about the Dr. Jackson Postgraduate Legal Fellowship can be found by emailing eddie@brightlinedefense.org and betty@brightlinedefense.org.