KIYOMI'S BIO
Kiyomi is a mom, a Marine Corps veteran, an activist, and a social justice advocate. From 1997 to 2001, Kiyomi was an active-duty Marine, during which time she served both at home and abroad and achieved the rank of Corporal. After being honorably discharged, Kiyomi attended the California State University of Northridge, where she earned a Bachelor’s in political science. Kiyomi then went on to law school, earning a Juris Doctorate with Public Service Distinction from Southwestern Law School in 2012. Since graduating law school, Kiyomi has continued her education, both formally and informally, and, most recently, earned a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. In 2021, Kiyomi was a Uri L’Tzedek Torah In Action Summer Fellow and a Bend The Arc Selah Leadership Program Fellow. Additionally, she is a 2022 Jewtina y Co. PUENTES Leadership and Resiliency Fellow. Kiyomi is particularly focused on productive dialogue and participates in consistent coaching and practice to fine tune non-violent communication techniques that are critical to all her efforts.
Kiyomi is a social justice advocate who is focused on eradicating racism and antisemitism. To that end, in 2020, she created and chaired the Social Justice Collective for the Board of Jewish Education at Valley Outreach Synagogue in Calabasas, California. Kiyomi launched the Social Justice Collective with the Anti-racism Task Force, which provided anti-racism programming to the local Jewish community, including a speaking tour during which Kiyomi spoke to the congregations of several local synagogues about her experiences as a Jew of color, both within and outside of the Jewish community. Kiyomi then expanded the Social Justice Collective to provide an ongoing series of panels, workshops, and discussions related to other key issues, including environmental justice and antisemitism. Under Kiyomi’s leadership, the Social Justice Collective partnered with a variety of organizations, including the USC Casden Institute, Hebrew Union College, and Jewish Center for Justice, to bring social justice programming to the broader Jewish community.
In 2021, based on her experience as a community activist and educator, Kiyomi co-founded Jewbian Princess (“JP”) with April Powers. JP is a private organization made up of two Black, Jewish women who are committed to celebrating inclusion across the Jewish diaspora by providing corporate level diversity and inclusion education through a Jewish lens to Jewish organizations. In 2022, Kiyomi also joined Project Shema as an antisemitism education coach and facilitator.
In addition to her work within the Jewish community, Kiyomi also works with the local schools to help educate teachers and students about racism. For example, she was a featured speaker at an anti-racist professional development course for K-12 teachers in the Las Virgenes School District. Kiyomi is also the former co-president and an active member of the San Fernando Valley chapter of Mocha Moms, Inc., a national non-profit organization, where she helps organize events and meetings about issues that impact mothers of color.
Recognizing that racism intersects with and is embedded in many social ills, Kiyomi advocates for and works on several issues that, while not expressly tied to racism, nevertheless reflect or build upon the systemic racism in our society. For example, Kiyomi is also a founding board member and staff advocate at LAW Project of Los Angeles, a non-profit organization which advocates for system-involved youth and families and assists individuals with post-conviction remedies.
In addition to all of the above, Kiyomi is active in local and statewide politics. She is an Assembly District 46 (formerly Assembly District 45) Delegate, serves on the Executive Board and the Platform Committee of the California State Democratic Party, and holds a position on California State Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel’s advisory council. Kiyomi is a proud alumna of New Politics Leadership Academy, where she serves on the Alumni Executive Council and leads the Anti-racism and Black Alumni Service Resiliency Circles, and also an alumna of Emerge California, a national organization that prepares Democratic women to run for office. In 2021, Kiyomi was awarded both Democrat of the Year (by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party) and Activist of the Year (by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel) for her work in Assembly District 45.
Kiyomi lives in the suburbs of Los Angeles with her partner and two children. When she is not taking on the patriarchy, racism, and antisemitism, you can find Kiyomi watercolor painting, embroidering, and sewing pieces of flare to inspire a more just world.
Here is a list of Kiyomi’s past projects and appearances. Check out www.KiyomiKowalski.com and follow her @KiyomiKowalski on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to learn more about her other projects.
Kiyomi is a social justice advocate who is focused on eradicating racism and antisemitism. To that end, in 2020, she created and chaired the Social Justice Collective for the Board of Jewish Education at Valley Outreach Synagogue in Calabasas, California. Kiyomi launched the Social Justice Collective with the Anti-racism Task Force, which provided anti-racism programming to the local Jewish community, including a speaking tour during which Kiyomi spoke to the congregations of several local synagogues about her experiences as a Jew of color, both within and outside of the Jewish community. Kiyomi then expanded the Social Justice Collective to provide an ongoing series of panels, workshops, and discussions related to other key issues, including environmental justice and antisemitism. Under Kiyomi’s leadership, the Social Justice Collective partnered with a variety of organizations, including the USC Casden Institute, Hebrew Union College, and Jewish Center for Justice, to bring social justice programming to the broader Jewish community.
In 2021, based on her experience as a community activist and educator, Kiyomi co-founded Jewbian Princess (“JP”) with April Powers. JP is a private organization made up of two Black, Jewish women who are committed to celebrating inclusion across the Jewish diaspora by providing corporate level diversity and inclusion education through a Jewish lens to Jewish organizations. In 2022, Kiyomi also joined Project Shema as an antisemitism education coach and facilitator.
In addition to her work within the Jewish community, Kiyomi also works with the local schools to help educate teachers and students about racism. For example, she was a featured speaker at an anti-racist professional development course for K-12 teachers in the Las Virgenes School District. Kiyomi is also the former co-president and an active member of the San Fernando Valley chapter of Mocha Moms, Inc., a national non-profit organization, where she helps organize events and meetings about issues that impact mothers of color.
Recognizing that racism intersects with and is embedded in many social ills, Kiyomi advocates for and works on several issues that, while not expressly tied to racism, nevertheless reflect or build upon the systemic racism in our society. For example, Kiyomi is also a founding board member and staff advocate at LAW Project of Los Angeles, a non-profit organization which advocates for system-involved youth and families and assists individuals with post-conviction remedies.
In addition to all of the above, Kiyomi is active in local and statewide politics. She is an Assembly District 46 (formerly Assembly District 45) Delegate, serves on the Executive Board and the Platform Committee of the California State Democratic Party, and holds a position on California State Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel’s advisory council. Kiyomi is a proud alumna of New Politics Leadership Academy, where she serves on the Alumni Executive Council and leads the Anti-racism and Black Alumni Service Resiliency Circles, and also an alumna of Emerge California, a national organization that prepares Democratic women to run for office. In 2021, Kiyomi was awarded both Democrat of the Year (by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party) and Activist of the Year (by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel) for her work in Assembly District 45.
Kiyomi lives in the suburbs of Los Angeles with her partner and two children. When she is not taking on the patriarchy, racism, and antisemitism, you can find Kiyomi watercolor painting, embroidering, and sewing pieces of flare to inspire a more just world.
Here is a list of Kiyomi’s past projects and appearances. Check out www.KiyomiKowalski.com and follow her @KiyomiKowalski on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to learn more about her other projects.