Through Selfless Service, Black Women Are Holding It Down Over Holidays

By Williamena Kwapo | OBSERVER Staff WriterWhile many people spend the holidays gathered with loved ones indulging in food, traditions and creating lasting memories, countless workers leave their families and homes to serve their communities.Among them are two Black women in Sacramento, each holding down essential roles during the holiday season. For Charde Vance, a nurse providing critical care, and Latesha Pierce, a wellness center manager supporting Sacramento’s unhoused and underserved population, the holidays are about more than celebration. It’s about providing service, advocacy, and hope.Vance is a newly minted registered nurse, or RN, who recently transitioned from being a licensed vocational nurse, or LVN, after earning her nursing bachelor’s from Nightingale College. Her journey reflects her deep commitment to health equity and representation, particularly as a Black nurse in California, where she is now one of only a little more than 4% of black nurses. She speaks passionately about the need for more Black voices in health care and the importance of advocacy in breaking barriers.“I don’t have to do this,” she says. “I get to do this. I do it for my people. I do it for my family. I do it for other Black people that are...