The history of Community Health Councils (CHC) is the history and demonstration of effective and inclusive, grassroots advocacy. Founded in 1992 on the heels of the LA uprisings, CHC was launched by a consortium of local leaders. Fortunately, one of South LA’s fiercest advocates, Lark Galloway-Gilliam, was CHC’s first Executive Director and a perfect fit for the mission ahead. CHC convened 12 regional coalitions of healthcare professionals and advocates in its first 13 years—educational, faith, and community-based organizations that collaborated to identify and respond to gaps in healthcare access for South LA residents. The list of achievements stemming from these collaborations, and inclusive of work with county and state leaders, is well documented on this website.

Galloway-Gilliam drove the evolution of what began as a coalition of health councils toward a broader agenda that captures all the ways CHC addresses health—mental, physical, economic, overall well-being, and more. As the organization passed to a new generation of leadership under CEO Veronica Flores, CHC recognized that its expanding influence had moved it beyond the bounds embodied in its name. As a result, for much of its 30th  year, CHC undertook a deep, reflective process in collaboration with residents, staff, volunteers, and other stakeholders to examine its activities, vision, and mission, evolving its identity in a way that speaks to all that the organization represents today—a symbol of hope and action for our communities.