OUR MISSION
The mission of Black Surf Santa Cruz is to promote mental, physical, spiritual, and communal healing through surfing, recreation, education, and wellness. We understand the local urgency for inclusivity, diversity, justice, and equality.
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Black Surf Santa Cruz (BSSC) aims to tear down barriers that keep our oceans segregated. By strategically focusing on both physical and spiritual wellness, Black Surf Santa Cruz creates healing opportunities for our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color community here in Santa Cruz. BSSC empowers our Black community to reclaim their space in the ocean. Join us as we work to make Santa Cruz County a more inclusive, accessible, and joyous place for all.
In her TEDx talk, Esabella "Bella" Bonner, our Founder and Executive Director, delivers a powerful speech where she shares the inspiring journey of forming Black Surf Santa Cruz and dives deep into how transformational leadership and systemic change start from within. Watch Bella's speech, "Values as Verbs: How to be About that Action" here, and read more about her journey below. ​
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ESABELLA BONNER
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Esabella Bonner is a long-time Santa Cruz resident, entrepreneur, visionary, and award-winning changemaker working to bridge the community. Bella is a Cabrillo College and San Jose State University alumnus, with an associate degree in sociology and a bachelor’s in business administration. Specializing in human resource management, she gained the tools to communicate and act upon her experiences growing up Black/Bi-racial in Santa Cruz.
In 2020, Bella followed her gut and organized the largest ever social protest gathering that Santa Cruz County has ever seen, with more than 5,000 people in attendance. This event sparked the core of her mission, which is to prioritize BIPOC voices and allow a space for the broader community to listen and learn. While this was the first protest she organized, its great success opened up a world of equity work for her. Inspired and called to continue the work, Bella organized further within the community, this time to make space for Black and Brown people via a series of paddle-outs/protests to support BLM.
This led Bella to create Black Surf Santa Cruz, where she is the founder and executive director. This award-winning organization aims to promote physical, spiritual, and communal healing through surfing, recreation, education, and advocacy for our local community. In 2021, Black Surf Santa Cruz was voted Best Surf School in the Good Times, and in 2022, it won Best Club at the annual Santa Cruz Waves Swellies Awards.