Zach Norris is an abolitionist, artist, writer, organizer, and strategist. Zach helped build California’s first statewide network for families of incarcerated youth which led the effort to close five youth prisons in the state, passed legislation to enable families to stay in contact with their loved ones, and defeated Prop 6—a destructive and ineffective criminal justice ballot measure.
Zach is the former Executive Director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and co-founder of Restore Oakland, a community advocacy and training center that will empower Bay Area community members to transform local economic and justice systems and make a safe and secure future possible for themselves and for their families. Zach is also a co-founder of Justice for Families, a national alliance of family-driven organizations working to end youth incarceration.



As an artist, writer, and strategist, Zach works with others to produce a just transition that would create a regenerative and restorative economy and society.

The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights is a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, CA, working to advance racial and economic justice to ensure dignity and opportunity for low-income people and people of color.