James Woodson is the Executive Director of the California Black Power Network, a growing ecosystem of Black-led and Black-serving community based organizations working together to change the lived conditions of Black Californians by dismantling systemic and anti-Black racism. Previously, James served as the Redistricting Lead and Policy Director of the California Black Census and Redistricting Hub, a coalition of over 30 Black-led and Black-serving organizations across the state focused on maximizing participation in the census and redistricting process among hard to count Black communities. He also served as Policy and Strategic Projects Manager at California Calls Education Fund where he managed work around the 2020 census, redistricting, and the Voters Choice Act (VCA). He is a former member of the California Secretary of State’s VCA Task Force and the Voters Choice Los Angeles Steering Committee. James began at California Calls as an Organizing Coordinator in 2016, where he worked on the African American Civic Engagement Project, coordinating civic engagement programs and providing support and assistance to the founding cohort. Before moving to California, James served as the Director of Programs for the Boys & Girls Club of Newark, NJ and in a variety of capacities within the Democratic National Committee, the NJ Democratic State Committee, Obama For America, and the NJ Health Care for America Now campaign. James is a licensed attorney in the states of New Jersey and New York and a proud alum of Rutgers Law School. He served as co-Counsel for the New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission in 2011 and 2012. In addition, James was the Founding Director of the Friendship Development Corporation, where he led the effort to create an outreach center that provides food, clothing, and other services to thousands of low-income families in the Baltimore metropolitan area. He currently resides in the Los Angeles area.