Johnson Justice Fellowship Program

Our public sector should reflect the people we serve. That’s why JFF launched a fellowship program to help build a pipeline for rising social justice leaders.

Launched in September 2023, The Johnson Justice Fellowship is a full-time two-year fellowship, based in New York City, for people interested in leading careers in the service of the public good. We’re delighted to partner with Riders Alliance, Center for Popular Democracy and New American Leaders to launch this fellowship.

“Our hope is that these leaders feel supported and inspired to work in the service of public good for the duration of their careers. It’s motivating to think about the immeasurable positive impact that this could help catalyze over decades.”

Dylan Hoos, Executive Director, Johnson Family Foundation

“It is a goal of JFF to multiply our grants' impact by finding specific points of leverage. We believe that this fellowship targets a key point in the career path of rising leaders where many are faced with high hurdles to continue their journey."

Asa Johnson, Trustee, Johnson Family Foundation

The Inaugural Cohort of Johnson Justice Fellows

The inaugural cohort of Johnson Justice Fellows—Abraham Logo, Salma Allam, and José Galarza—started in September of 2023 and are currently working at Riders Alliance, Center for Popular Democracy and New American Leaders.

Abraham Lugo (he/him) | Center for Popular Democracy

Abraham Lugo Bello is a long-time community advocate and immigrant from Caracas, Venezuela. Abraham graduated with his Bachelor of Political Science from the University of Nevada and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration in Urban Development and Non-Profit Management at Baruch College.

Abraham grew up in Southern Nevada, where he quickly integrated himself into the political arena through several public service roles. He finished his time in Las Vegas by organizing around economic and workers justice at Make the Road Nevada, which is focused on the elevation of human rights for working-class immigrant communities around the state. In order to extend the reach of his advocacy and grow further, he relocated to New York City in 2021, where he continued to organized in North Brooklyn for the New York City Council. He hopes to use his role in the fellowship to develop concrete strategies that will help win meaningful policy change.

Salma AllAM (she/her) | Riders Alliance

Salma Allam graduated from DePauw University in 2020 with a double major in English Literature and Middle Eastern Studies. After college, Salma went on to work for the Arab American Association of New York where she initially started as an Immigration Navigator and was soon promoted to Immigration Program Manager.

Salma has been organizing formally and informally since her high school years. She’s passionate about movements for liberation and building a world that addresses the needs of the many, rather than the few. She is committed to being in accountable solidarity with all oppressed peoples of the world.

JosÉ Galarza (he/him) | New American Leaders

Jose was born and raised in the Bronx by working-class Puerto Rican parents. Growing up, he had many experiences that shaped the way he became involved politically. He volunteered for his first electoral campaign in 2017 for a progressive running for New York City Council. He did not know it at the time, but the campaign was critical to his personal growth and put him on the path of electoral politics.

In 2019 he worked as an Iowa Field Organizer for the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign and eventually worked on the campaign’s national team. After the Bernie campaign, he transitioned to the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez team as one of their field organizers. He managed a 30-person team, also referred to as the “SuperVol Squad,” which solidified the foundation for his organizing philosophy.

For the past two years, Jose has worked on different projects that range from training people on the 2020 redistricting process to the launch of a vote-tripling effort in the Bronx with the New American Leaders Action Fund. Jose graduated from Hood College with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in non-profit management.