ABOUT US
Save Your Six was founded in 2017, sparked by the personal experiences of racial discrimination faced by the founders' children in the Sonoma County public school system. This highlighted a systemic failure to protect students under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prompting a mission to advocate for the rights of students nationwide. The organization conducts workshops, engages in advocacy, and partners with community groups to raise awareness and educate about the rights against racial discrimination in education. In 2023, Save Your Six was formally recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization, solidifying its foundation to further its mission. Through resilience and determination, Save Your Six aims to transform educational systems to ensure all students can learn in environments free from fear and discrimination.
Who is Save Your Six here to support?
Save Your Six is here to support Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) students and their families. We want to empower students like you to understand your rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and learn how to protect yourselves from discrimination and harassment.
How can Save Your Six help students and their families?
Save Your Six provides valuable resources, digital toolkits, guides, and checklists to help you understand Title VI and your rights. We also offer free training sessions and assistance for students and families who need help with Title VI complaints.
Raquel Mack (she/her)
Executive Director & Board President
Raquel a founding member of Save Your Six and has dedicated over seven years to advocating for BIPOC students’ rights. Her mission is to ensure every student has equal access to quality education, free from discrimination. Raquel leads Save Your Six’s strategic vision and outreach, making Title VI protections accessible and impactful.
Kehinde Olowoyeye, Ph.D (she/her)
Board Secretary (Interim)
An experienced DEI leader with a background in K-12 administration, Kehinde brings her expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) to Save Your Six. With over a decade in educational leadership, she supports our mission by driving systemic change and shaping DEIB strategies.
Erica Deionno (she/her)
Board Treasurer
With a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry and a career in STEM, Erica is committed to ensuring students of all backgrounds have access to educational opportunities. She manages Save Your Six’s finances and supports outreach for STEM equity.
Johanna Pino (she/her)
Johanna is founding member and the Creative Director of Save Your Six. With over 25 years of experience in corporate branding, strategy, and information design, Johanna has been instrumental in shaping the visual identity and strategic communications of Save Your Six. Since 2016, she has been dedicated to bringing Title VI awareness to local school districts, school boards, and community groups, advocating for equity in education. Her passion for communicating the urgency of Title VI awareness is evident in her creative approach to design.
Samantha Rodriguez (she/her)
Youth Engagement Advisory Board Member
An experienced advocate for labor rights and community development, Samantha uses her expertise to strengthen Save Your Six’s youth engagement initiatives. She is committed to ensuring Title VI protections reach those who need them most.
Natalie Kim (she/her)
Grants & Fundraising Advisory Board Member
With a background in public health, bioethics, and strategic leadership, Natalie supports our fundraising efforts. She works to secure resources that help Save Your Six expand its impact nationwide.
Whether you’re a student, a concerned adult, or an educator, you can help make our schools safe places to learn.
Save Your Six has developed these resource toolkits to help students, trusted adults, and school employees help themselves.
SAVEYOURSIX
We would like to gather data about schools, school districts, and colleges across the country, and their compliance with Title VI. We’re asking you to send us information about your school and school district.
Additional Founders
D'mitra Smith (she/her/ella)
D'mitra is a a original founder of Save Your Six. During her tenure as Chair and Vice Chair of the Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights from 2012-2020, she authored the 2018 report “Discrimination and Bullying in Our Schools” and co-authored “Human Rights Violations in Santa Rosa: Policing the Black Lives Matter Protests”, garnering an award from the San Jose State Human Rights Institute. She is the founder of the Sonoma County Human Rights Visibility Project, an online reporting tool in eighteen languages; and a founding member of the essential workers’ collective Food for All – Comida para Todos. She believes that BIPOC students and students of all protected classes have the right to an education free from discrimination and harassment, in which Title VI civil rights protections are upheld with integrity and commitment.
Caleste Winders (she/her)
Celeste is an original founder of Save Your Six. She lives in Sonoma, CA with her husband and children. She is the parent of three BIPOC children with IEPs for a variety of disabilities. She has had to advocate for the civil rights of her own children who belong to multiple protected classes. This journey led Celeste to seek extensive training in the area of the intersection of disability and Title VI and Title IX in public education. This training along with her own large body of advocacy work and knowledge on the subject of the intersection of disability, race, and gender has led Celeste to leading trainings on the subject through consulting firm.
