By Edward Henderson | California Black Media
Rhonda Smith is an experienced leader with a diverse background spanning nonprofit leadership, cancer advocacy, health equity, corporate consulting and international business.
Smith is currently the Executive Director of the California Black Health Network(CBHN), a trusted resource conducting outreach, education and advocacy to achieve health equity for African Americans and Black immigrants.
CBHN’s mission is to ensure that all Black Californians, regardless of their education, socio-economic class, sexual orientation, gender identity, housing, or immigration status have access to high quality and equitable primary and behavioral healthcare and are not forced to suffer or die from preventable diseases.
Smith spoke with California Black Media about her successes and frustrations in 2025, along with her hopes for 2026.
Looking back at 2025, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why?
This year, one of the most important achievements has been our Health Equity Advocacy Training (HEAT) Program and Black Health Equity Advocacy Week (BHEAW). We completed training for our third cohort and have trained over 60 people from across the state including physicians, medical school students, doulas/midwives and community leaders, community health workers, and health advocates. We are aiming to build a statewide network of health equity advocates who can amplify their voices, engage in community organizing, and participate in driving policy change locally and statewide.
We are gaining greater visibility and engagement with BHEAW, which I think is more important than ever before to mobilize community voices to influence local health equity policies and have create greater visibility for the need for Black-led health initiatives. That kind of power-building is what leads to sustainable systems change.
I’m also happy that we have surpassed 800 Black Health Network (BHN) members across the state. Having started from ground zero about three years ago. This is something to be proud of.
How did your leadership, efforts and investments with CBHN contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians in 2025?
Through our leadership, we’ve advanced policies, programs, and partnerships that center Black voices and dismantle structural barriers to healthcare. Whether it was advocating for Black maternal health legislation, increasing mental health access, or strengthening our statewide member network, we’ve been intentional about investing in solutions by and for Black Californians.
What frustrated you the most over the last year?
What frustrated me the most is how the current federal administration has, in a very short time, undermined, dismantled, and reversed decades of progress in advancing health equity for vulnerable communities and is have creating a system and infrastructure that is inhumane when it comes to health, healthcare access, and the overall well-being of our communities.
What inspired you the most over the last year?
I’m constantly inspired by the resilience and brilliance of Black community leaders across the state. Seeing our BHN members being so committed to the work and support of CBHN. It’s a reminder of why we started the network and its importance in power building. We need to come together and work together to solve our won community’s problems.
What is one lesson you learned in 2025 that will inform your decision-making next year?
I’ve learned that no matter how bad things seem to be. there are always opportunities to be discovered and leveraged. Despite the impact of the “One Big Beautiful Act” (OBBBA) and its deep budget cuts, I believe that this, like COVID-19 back in 2020, is another moment in time for us to pivot and figure out how we can find the upside in all of this for our community. It’s just going to take a bit more effort, innovation and creativity.
In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians faced in 2025?
Politics.
What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2026?
In 2026, I want CBHN, working collaboratively with our health equity partners, to help drive a statewide policy win that protects our health and healthcare and mitigates the impact of the OBBBA and budgets cuts on California and our most vulnerable communities.
