Anne Bellows recently returned to the Bay Area to join Public Advocates as an Equal Justice Works Fellow. As you will read, this Public Advocates Pillar has a passion for housing justice and values strengthening community power by working with community groups and coalitions. When she isn’t fighting for social justice or finding inspiration in art and literature, Anne enjoys hiking and spending time with family.
Q: Why did you decide to join Public Advocates?
Anne: Simply put, Public Advocates does great work, and I wanted to be a part of it. The issues Public Advocates works on have profound importance for low-income communities and communities of color in the Bay Area and beyond — touching on the structural causes of inequality in our society. I have always valued Public Advocates’ collaborative model that seeks to strengthen community power by working with community groups and coalitions. This collaborative ethic is in the fabric of the organization, and it keeps the work exciting, inspiring and truly powerful. I had the opportunity to witness all of this when I interned at Public Advocates as a law student, and I count myself very lucky to be back at this terrific organization as an Equal Justice Works Fellow.
Q: What do you find satisfying about your field?
Anne: Housing is deeply connected to so many parts of a person’s life, so when we work to create fair housing opportunities for low-income communities and communities of color, we’re also in part working towards economic and environmental justice and supporting access to quality jobs, education and transit. Housing justice is fundamental to building thriving communities.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Anne: I love reading and seem to have an ever-growing pile of books I want to read. I also enjoy hiking in Pt. Reyes and the East Bay hills, learning languages and spending time friends and family.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote?
Anne: It’s hard to choose a favorite quote. These days, I find myself looking for inspiration and grounding in art and poetry, such as Diego Rivera’s murals at the Detroit Institute of Art or this poem by Phillip Levine. I also really love Mercedes Sosa’s rendition of La Maza.
