Meet Lakisha Young, the powerhouse behind Oakland REACH education advocacy group

LAKISHA YOUNG HAS never been afraid of a heavy lift. The co-founder and CEO of Oakland REACH, a parent advocacy group, she is dedicated to uplifting the education of low-income children.

“Education in many ways is ground zero — it’s often where everything comes together or falls apart,” said the Oakland mother of three. “But right now our schools are perpetuating a failure loop because our kids aren’t being taught to be proficient in reading and math.”