Sonia Reed: A San Leandro Story of Racism & Resilience
Sonia Reed found her first home ever in the hills of San Leandro. After winning a lottery through a local program to support first-time homebuyers, she couldn't believe her luck in finding a place in the Bay Area's competitive housing market. As someone who was formerly homeless, she was very excited to then become a first-time homeowner. As a peer support and recovery specialist and Narcotics Anonymous volunteer for Alameda County, she is used to helping others. In fact, after struggling against hardship most of her life, Sonia has dedicated her career to fighting for others, including serving as a member of Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless Commission and a program manager at Bonita House. But now she's the one in need of help. Upon coming to visit her new home in the unincorporated Hillcrest Knolls neighborhood , she was immediately met with racist slurs and hate from a couple of her neighbors. Insults were hurled about her race and her body. The co...