Samira Fathiya Abdi (she/her) was born and raised in San Diego, California. Her efforts in advocacy and equity began at a young age. As the oldest child of Somali immigrants, she helped her parents navigate America’s complex structures and essentially “translate” this country and their systems. She has witnessed firsthand how structural racism, oppression, and the link between the social drivers of health operate to create and reproduce health inequities. 

As a public health professional and community-rooted justice practitioner, Samira is passionate about creating conditions that encourage healing from systems of oppression, foster accountability and efforts that start to undo the harms of racism. She has had the opportunity to work with local/state government agencies, health care organizations and communities to lead strategy development, shape organizational culture and inform programs, policies and decisions that center racial justice, health equity and systems of change that cultivate a world where people are not coming up against harm in their everyday life.