Meet Lindsey Parker, a Bakersfield mom of elementary school kids, author, marketer, and organizer advocating for disability rights, service members, and working families. 

     “Activism in the Central Valley is not new; this region is the birthplace of movements that have shaped our state and nation. There are activists and organizations here who have been doing this work for decades, many without recognition. As someone newer to activism, I see it as my responsibility to learn from them, to listen, and to use my skills and experience to help lift up their voices, their stories and their work. Any progress we make today is built on the foundation they’ve laid. 

     “I’ve spent much of my life advocating in global health and disability communities, but things shifted for me. Watching policies hurt working families, immigrants, and marginalized communities, our neighbors, pushed me to act at the local level. It started small, showing up at local meetings and connecting with other people who felt the same urgency. Over time, that grew into organizing rallies, writing op-eds, and helping coordinate actions with other grassroots groups.

     “Burnout, impostor syndrome, and missteps have all been part of this new but intense journey. The only way through is to stay teachable—listen to the people who’ve been here before you, listen to your community, leave your ego at the door, and stay focused on the good. This work isn’t about perfection. It’s about persistence. The first time I heard someone I respect call me an activist, I was surprised—this weird mix of embarrassed and flattered. I didn’t feel like I had earned that title. But I realized activism isn’t something you’re handed after you’ve done enough; it’s something you step into by showing up, learning, and doing the work, even when it feels uncomfortable.”

     “The onslaught of cruelties coming out of the current administration can feel overwhelming—I could list them all day. But at the heart of what motivates me is simple: fighting for the worth of every person, no matter what they look like, believe, who they love or how they live. The moment we see any group of people as less valuable or less worthy, we open the door to real harm, and the atrocities we are seeing currently. Every person deserves dignity, agency, and safety. And as someone who has privilege given by our society and my circumstances, I feel a responsibility to use it. We all have a role to play in building a community where everyone’s humanity is honored, and that’s what keeps me showing up.”

     “One of my main priorities right now is helping turn that sense of swirling overwhelm so many of us feel into action, by demystifying activism and local political engagement. For most of my life, I thought politics and government were for other people—people who were smarter, more connected, had more money, more time, or just understood it all better. I learned, much later than I wish I had, that none of that is true. Politics is personal, and it is ours. It belongs to all of us. So much of my focus now is about making engaging in the process more approachable, inviting, and inclusive, especially for the people directly affected by these policies and decisions. We all deserve a seat at the table and a voice in what happens to us.”