Project Staff

Luna HighJohn-Bey is the project lead, lead researcher, and inspiration behind the London Nelson Legacy Initiative. Luna earned her BA in sociology with a minor in philosophy from The New School, followed by an AA in business administration from DeAnza College. Following in the footsteps of her grandmother who was the first Black Woman Park Ranger, she worked for the National Park Service as a tour leader at the African Burial Grounds in New York City. She comes from a long line of family genealogists experienced in researching family histories. Luna founded and directs the Santa Cruz Equity Project, an organization devoted to the holistic support of Black residents in Santa Cruz County, and was part of the renaming committee for the London Nelson Community Center. She currently serves as lead curator for Santa Cruz County Black Health Matters Initiative, which is underwriting some of the research for this project, as well as historian in residence at the MAH. Recognizing that many people of African descent were disenfranchised from their spiritual traditions and laid to rest without proper funerary practice, Luna also serves as an African American healer and spiritualist within the community.

Gabrielle Middlebrooks serves as co-researcher for the project. Gabrielle earned a BA in political science and government from SUNY Albany, during which time she worked at two different museums focused on local history. After serving as a professional resources specialist for the technology firm, WalkMe, Gabrielle is now executive assistant to the CEO of Beyond Equity Consulting, a firm that facilitates groups to create actionable steps toward equity. She hopes this project will shed more light on her people’s long history in Santa Cruz and throughout the greater region.

Theresa Bostic will serve as the project’s research assistant. Currently a third-year undergraduate at UC Santa Cruz, Theresa is pursuing a double major in sociology and history with a concentration on Africa and the Americas, and a minor in Black studies. Theresa received funding for a research project about London Nelson from The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz, for which she is creating a digital story map of his life. She is also active in student government and engagement at UCSC’s Merrill College, for which she serves as public relations coordinator, orientation leader, and teaching assistant.

Lindsey Tavares-Sabido will serve as research project manager for the London Nelson Legacy Initiative. Lindsey is currently a PhD student at UC Santa Cruz, where she earned a BA in legal studies and completed a Pan-African Research Fellowship. Currently program coordinator for the UC Santa Cruz Institute of the Arts and Sciences, her experience includes four years of project management and research.