This year marks a decade of the Black Child Legacy Campaign (BCLC)—a community-driven movement that has transformed how Sacramento County addresses the disproportionate deaths of Black children. To honor this milestone, we’re proud to share a powerful new video featuring voices that shaped this journey. Watch here:
The video reflects on the origins of BCLC, the partnerships that made it possible and the lives saved through collective action. It’s a story of resilience, accountability and hope—proof that when a community and local government comes together, change is possible.
“In local government, sometimes we don’t have things to celebrate that are so pronounced and important as lives being saved,” said Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna said, reflecting on this decade of impact. “But that’s what this [anniversary] is really about. We are celebrating the fact that we have young people out there—maybe four or five, 10 years old now—that perhaps wouldn’t be with us or perhaps wouldn’t be as healthy […] if it wasn’t for the community. If it wasn’t for the organized efforts of the county, First Five, Sierra Health Foundation and so many others.”
“As someone who’s been around this work for a long time, I will tell you: there are few times you see a 10-year initiative for anything, and it’s even rarer to see it for children of color—nonetheless, Black children,” said Sierra Health Foundation CEO Chet P. Hewitt. “We have focused on a very specific population, and the policy impacts of this work have impacted people far beyond the African-American community.”
Learn more about the Black Child Legacy Campaign at BlackChildLegacy.org/about.