Johnson Justice Fellowship
HISTORY & MISSION
Our public sector should reflect the people we serve. That’s why JFF launched a fellowship program to help build a pipeline for rising social justice leaders.
Launched in September 2023, the Johnson Justice Fellowship is a full-time two-year fellowship, based in New York City, for people interested in leading careers in the service of the public good. The inaugural cohort of Johnson Justice Fellows—Abraham Lugo, Salma Allam, and José Galarza—worked at Riders Alliance, Center for Popular Democracy and New American Leaders, concluded the fellowship in September of 2025, and continue to work in the service of the public good.
The second cohort of fellows started in September of 2025. You can learn more about the current cohort of fellows—Jazz, Mayana, and Valeria—by reading the bios below.
“This fellowship emerged from a recognition that New York City's greatest strength is the cross-pollination of ideas between passionate people working to improve their communities. By investing in mid-career leaders and providing them the resources, network, and support to innovate, we're helping ensure that the people most impacted by inequity have the tools to create lasting change."
Asa Johnson, Trustee, Johnson Family Foundation
“I grew up in this city and this fellowship feels like it was created for me...Growing up in the Bronx, I saw how lack of opportunities and resources pushed narratives onto our communities that the only way to succeed, is to leave your community. The fellowship allows me to address that narrative, by showing that where we live is worthwhile and that opportunities and resources are there. We have to advocate and push our systems to work for us. Not for the few, but for the many."
José Galarza, former fellow (new american leaders)
Meet THE current Fellows
Jazz Kerr (any pronouns) | New Economy Project
Jazz Kerr was born and raised in the Bronx by Caribbean educator parents who instilled in them a love of learning and justice. Jazz studied Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at DePauw University, focusing on the intersections of environmental, racial, gender, and economic justice.
After graduation, Jazz worked with the Sadie Nash Leadership Project, where they taught on the topic of environmental racism and supported Bronx youth in honing their leadership and activism skills. Inspired by that work, Jazz joined Farm School NYC, where they managed communications and uplifted stories of land, food, and community resilience. In 2023, Jazz was selected as a Seeding Power Fellow with Community Food Funders, a funding collaborative of the North Star Fund, working to expand food justice, movement building, and resource mobilization.
Jazz finds grounding in swimming, singing, snacking, and building community wherever life takes them.
Mayana Torres (she/her) | Riders Alliance
Mayana is a hardcore Brooklynite with African American and Latina roots. As a multi-medium artist, florist, and grassroots climate organizer, her work centers cultural preservation, liberation, and shared human experiences. Through art and community-based practices, she seeks to push against the erasure of Blackness in art and ecology. Grounding body, mind, and spirit in community care, Mayana works to raise awareness of environmental and racial injustice and to help drive global structural change.
Mayana has collaborated with national and local climate groups on programming, education, and art. Her leadership spans service as a Delegate Leader to a COP27 Egypt cohort and leading the facilitation of art prep for actions in Brooklyn. Her art has been installed in local parks, painted on a community mutual aid refrigerator, exhibited in curated shows, and featured in NGO marketing materials. Mayana was named a Top 10 artist in Art Gowanus Open Studios for two consecutive years.
She has been quoted by The New York Times, Reuters, The Washington Post, and The Women and Gender Constituency on issues of environmental justice. She practices radical hope for a safer, softer, and more equitable world. She graduated from Pace University with a double major in Peace and Justice Studies and History.
Valeria Paz (she/her/ella) | New American Leaders
Valeria Paz Reyes is an immigrant from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and a proud New Yorker. She moved to New York City with her family at the age of 14 and holds dual degrees in Political Science and English, along with an MSW from CUNY. Valeria is deeply committed to empowering underrepresented communities, combining her academic background with her lived experience in community work. She has partnered with organizations to expand access to services for Spanish speakers and to create safer spaces for Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQ+, and immigrant communities.
Valeria has been a leader of social and economic justice efforts such as the Working Families Tax Credit Campaign, which aimed to reduce child poverty by reforming New York’s tax credit system, and the Street Vendor Reform Campaign in Sunset Park, which advances changes to local laws that criminalize street vending. In addition to her campaign work, Valeria has organized numerous mobilizations, marches, and rallies to protest anti-immigrant sentiment, including the “Protect Immigrant New Yorkers: Families Belong Together” rally in Foley Square.