Conversations with the CTGCA Team: SoCal Lead Recruiter Dr. Diandra “Dee” Bremond
CTGCA Southern California Lead Recruiter Dr. Diandra “Dee” Bremond tells us about being born into a family of community organizers, why women supporting women will help us achieve parity, and more.
This interview has been edited for brevity. We interviewed members from our team to learn about their roots in the gender equality movement. To learn more about our Interview Series and read other pieces like this, please click here.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a basketball player. I got a scholarship to go to college to play basketball but at the time, I learned that women in the WNBA made like $32,000 a year. I knew there was no way that this was going to get me out of poverty, so I ended up focusing on my education. If I was a boy, I would’ve gone pro and made great money. I definitely had the talent as a woman, but it just wasn’t as desirable.
How did your family and community influence your passions?
Ah, I lived in two different worlds. In Cleveland, Ohio, we were lower middle class and my mom and my stepdad lived in the inner city, and my dad lived in Los Angeles. And I saw firsthand what the inner city looked like versus when I went to private school. What affluence and resources could look like. I spent all my school breaks in LA. My grandfather was a civil rights activist and started a prominent nonprofit here, so I was born into community work, particularly around building up Black folks. For my mom in Ohio, everything was about getting an education so you can get out of the inner city.
But all of my first jobs were for the nonprofit — I think my first job at 13 was working on a campaign to remove cigarettes from liquor stores in South Central. Some people work at McDonald’s for their first jobs, and I did community work. My family always told me that I was born to be a leader.
What has been your proudest accomplishment so far?
Personally, marrying my wife. Professionally, I founded a charter school in the inner city for at-risk and homeless youth with some buddies of mine from grad school, and it’s still up five years later. Receiving the gubernatorial appointment to serve on the Cannabis Control Appeals Panel was a life changing moment for me too.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Ride the wave. I’m a big planner. Life will throw you ups and downs and you’ve just gotta ride it out. I’ve always wanted to be in control of my destiny, but you’re not in control. So enjoy it.
What do you enjoy about the work that you do with Close the Gap?
I love getting women to say ‘yes’ to considering a run for office. It’s a really cool thing. I actually did my dissertation on gender parity and local, state and federal government, so it’s aligned with the part of politics that I’m interested in.
I come from the nonprofit and organizing worlds. People who understand the work we’re doing at Close the Gap understand that it’s going to take money and resources to recruit women to run for office. 2028 is around the corner. We’ve got six years to reach a goal.
What do you think it will take to achieve parity in the legislature by 2028?
We’ve gotta get every woman, regardless of if they’re politically involved, to get behind a woman to run for office. Men support men. We have to get behind all women, write a check, volunteer some time, make some calls or knock on doors. Of course, for the state legislature, but it’s bigger than that. If you start with getting women into local seats, they go on to the legislature, and then into federal seats.
What advice would you give for women that are interested in running?
You just gotta jump into it. There’s no book on this. Build a board of people who will support you through this process. And when you go to fundraise, whatever you were going to ask for — double it.
Close the Gap California is committed to building on progressive women’s historic momentum by recruiting them statewide and achieving equality in California by 2028. Join us!
About Close the Gap California
Close the Gap California (CTGCA) is a statewide campaign launched in 2013 to close the gender gap in the California Legislature by 2028. By recruiting accomplished, progressive women in targeted districts and preparing them to launch competitive campaigns, CTGCA is changing the face of the Legislature one cycle at a time.
Nearly one in every three women in the Legislature is a CTGCA Recruit. Our Recruits are committed to reproductive justice, quality public education, and combatting poverty, and 11 of 12 serving today are women of color.
