Marie (Mickey) Sturdivant, President and Founder

Mickey Sturdivant grew up in the inner city streets of Bakersfield.  After
graduating from Bakersfield High School in 1967 she began a journey that
would last for 24 years in to the world of drugs, prostitution, crime, and jails.
In 1989, as a result of a contract put on her life for a drug dept, she sought
refuge in a women's shelter followed by a six month commitment in Victory
Outreach Recovery Ministries.  Consequently she felt the calling on her life to
return to the community and try to help bring other out of this vicious cycle.

In 1992 she Co-founded Exodus House, a recovery home
for women and children.  The first residential home in the
city or county - ran by ex-drug addicts - to receive almost
one million dollars in City, County, and Federal funds for
operational purposes.

In 2003, due to the tragic killings of her nephew, Mickey
and her nephew's mother decided to form a group called
M.A.S.K. (Mother's Against Senseless Killings) that would
address some issues that arise from these senseless
killings, i.e., grief, separation in the community, family
support, reconciliation between families, victims rights
advocacy, etc.

Community Activism:  Mickey's passion and determination to be a part of changing this community has resulted in her receiving awards, appreciation, and acknowledgements from: Exodus House Ministries; St. Peter, RCP; Clinica Sierra Vista; Black Infant Health; No Name Fellowship; Angel Tree; Steve Harvey Show, L.A. (Angel Award); National Council for Negro Women; Channel 23 - Leadership Award; Ebony Counseling Center; California State Assembly; Bakersfield News Observer; Bakersfield Police Department; ...and many others.

Family: Married to Minister Chris Sturdivant.  Mickey is a loving and proud mother of four living children of her own, four grandchildren, and one foster child.

Shirley Washington Harris, Vice President and Co-Founder

Shirley is a high school graduate and native of Bakersfield, California.  Currently she is a student at CalSTATE University of Bakersfield and studying to be a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor.

Shirley's collective experience of working as a certified nurse's assistant, with abused and neglected youth in a foster care facility, and as a program coordinator with women diagnosed with both mental illness and substance abuse, have inspired her with a passion to serve as a community advocate for non-violence by helping families who are experiencing crisis.  Shirley is committed to social change - doing all she can to empower those who are downtrodden and impoverished.

Christine King

Christina grew up in Bakersfield and graduated from Bakersfield High School and was married that same year.  Two years later Christina had a son.

After participating at the center where her son was enrolled in a Head Start program, Christina developed an interest in teaching children.  She went to college and earned a degree in Early Child Development and Family Relations.  She worked as an Assistant Teacher and was later promoted to Program Director.

Over a period of fifteen years Christina worked local schools and non-profit agencies.  Her interest were expanded and she started working with pregnant women and later entered the field of Mental Health.  Christina is currently a Substance Abuse Perinatal Counselor.  She teaches classes in anger management, parenting, and child neglect and abuse.

Christina has always enjoyed working working in a field where she could help others.  She became involved with MASK after her seventeen year old grandson was shot and killed in downtown Bakersfield by a man who started randomly shooting into a crowd of people.

Karen Shah

Karen is an experienced community advocate, administrator and educator with an extensive background in developing and facilitating training and development programs.  She serves as a business instructor for two local community colleges.  Her experiences include providing instruction utilizing such mediums as lecture, lab, and online environments.  Ms. Shah designs curriculum for special needs populations such as at-risk youth, adult inmates, and participants of the California Welfare Reform (Cal WORKs) program.

Karen earned a California Community College teaching credential and acquired additional teaching experience at local high and vocation schools.  Other education related positions she had held include staff developer, academic dean, program administrator, division chair, department assistant, and proctor.

Ms. Shah has over twenty years experience with various California profit, non-profit, private and public organizations.  Some she has assisted include the Department of Transportation, Corrections, and Attorney General, Arts Council of Kern, Catholic Healthcare West, Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Friends Outside, San Joaquin Valley College, Bakersfield Family Medical Center, Ebony Counseling, Kern County Black Infant Health Program, Statewide Freelance Services, Kern County Juvenile Program, and APR Development Corporation.

As a volunteer, she served as advisor to culturally diverse student clubs.  She is past board member of local homeless and senior centers; African American Heritage Museum; Mayor's Youth Coalition; Sheriff's Minority Recruitment Task Force; Bakersfield Action Team; Referral and Assistance Network; and the Kern Community Economic Opportunity Corporation.  Karen was appointed by the city council, to serve on the Southeast Community Coalition.  Ms. Shah is the founding coordinator of the Southeast Neighborhood Partnership, and past president of the Southeast Neighborhood Association.

Karen's education was acquired at City College of San Francisco University of Southern California, University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California Cooperative Extension.

In recognition of Ms. Shah's community contributions, she's been featured in magazines and newspaper articles.  Karen has received awards and honors from such agencies as the city of Bakersfield, County of Kern, Community Development Department, Chamber of Commerce, African American Network, BAPAC and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Karen is originally from Bakersfield and maintains her involvement in civic and professional associations.

Shirley Mathews

Shirley is a native of Bakersfield who loves sewing, reading, and with her desire to help people she joined MASK hoping to help with the healing of hurting hearts.

She graduated from South High School, has acquired an AA degree from Bakersfield College.  She also has a Bachelor, Masters and PHD in Religious Education from the "World Institute of Religious Education" in Farmington, New Mexico.

Shirley retired from the United States Postal Services after twenty-eight years.  She is active with being an Outside Sales Travel Counselor, Notary Public and volunteer teacher for McKinley Elementary School.

Shirley attends St. Peter Restoration Community Christian Ministries where she teaches Sunday School, and serves as President of the Ruth Mission Circle.

Gayla Ponce

One of my son's best friends (Matt) was killed months before my son was killed on July 7, 2005.  I miss my son so much that many times I felt like I just couldn't go on; but Matt's mother (Nina) talked me into going to a MASK meeting.  Nina and I also share a granddaughter through my son and her daughter.  Without the members (mothers and grandmothers) of MASK I don't know if I'd still be here.  They truly know the pain I feel because they've been through it too, and we all support each other.  I am now a member of MASK and dedicated to their efforts in trying to stop the violence.  We want no one else to live with the pain we have to live with every day, without our loved ones.

Nina Johnson

I joined MASK after my son was murdered over a year ago, on August 15, 2005.  My heart was so broken and I felt so alone as if no one else knew what I was feeling.  I was reading the newspaper one day and I read that there was a meeting for Mother Against Senseless Killings and I felt like I needed to go.  I'm glad I did.  It's helped me more than I would have expected.  Just knowing that I could talk to others and they were there to lean on.  They are trying to make a difference in our community.  I knew that I also wanted to make a difference and reach out to others in need of support.

After my son was killed I didn't know what to do.  Although my son was 22 years old, he was still my baby; now, how was I going to live without my son?  Like so many mothers I too was a single parent for so many years.  My children were my life, and I always thought that if something were to happen to any of them I would not be able to handle it.  I feel that it wasn't me who found that meeting in the newspaper, but that God had directed me to it; and I'm so glad He did because with God's love and strength, and the support of MASK I found more and more peace everyday.

Angela Aceves

I have lived in Bakersfield all my life.  I am a wife, mom, grandmother, and a nurse at the Kern County Department of Public Health.  I've been married for over 30 years and have two sons, a daughter and six grandchildren.

After the brutal murder of my first granddaughter Amanda Zubia back in July of 2004; I am now raising Amanda's son (my great grandson). 

It was then that I became a member of Mothers Against Senseless Killings.  I wanted to do something to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again and before it affects someone you love.  I am also a member of the East Bakersfield Faith Community Alliance, and a parishioner of Saint Joseph's Church.