By Lauren Mandel
On Thursday, January 23rd, the CIL came together to honor the legacy of Ed Roberts and to celebrate the incredible life of his recently departed mother and fierce disability rights activist, Zona Roberts — a woman known as the grandmother of the Disability Rights Movement. In the Ed Roberts Campus and virtually, family, friends, and fellow advocates gathered with a shared sadness yet immense love and hope in remembrance of two individuals who shaped the world for the better.
Dr. Pineda, the Executive Director of the CIL and a friend of Zona for nearly 25 years, began the evening explaining the memorial’s purpose to “not only honor Zona, but to recommit to our mission of disability justice.” Dr. Pineda recalled Zona as the “embodiment of fierce love,” a woman who believed in the potential of all members of the CIL community and saw disability injustices as a truly universal struggle.
Zona’s son, Mark Roberts, continued the memorial wearing one his mother’s signature gold sparkly hats. He smiled and said, “It’s sparkly like my mom is.” Mark noted Zona’s capability to not only advocate for Ed and other people of disabilities, but her “rare ability” to advocate for herself as well. He painted a vivid picture of his mother as a pilot guiding a plane full of individuals of all abilities, keeping everyone safe until her final landing, her passing, which was one of peace.
The evening continued with Donna Mitroff and the introduction of her film in production about Ed and Zona. She recalled co-director Nina’s reaction upon meeting Zona: “Who is that incredible woman?” A question which encapsulates the pure admiration so many feel for her. The community watched a clip of Zona, showcasing her role as a mother to all and a strong yet spunky woman with a fire for life.
Joan Leon, a friend of Zona since 1973 and a prominent advocate herself shared her memory of Zona, concluding “what a wonderful life Zona lived.” She wore a necklace Zona gifted her, earning chuckles after revealing she requested it after seeing Zona wear it time and again. Joan reiterated the lesson taught by Zona, especially in regards to taking care of oneself and to celebrate life instead of mourning death.
Former Assemblywoman Loni Hancock and former Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, longtime friends and neighbors of the Roberts family, as well as key political advocates, added to the collection of memories of Zona. Loni pushed for the continuation of Zona’s persistent attitude within the CIL and beyond, noting how Zona “changed the world and made it better.” Mayor Bates highlighted Zona’s role in the Disability Rights Movement as an individual there “to teach, to lead, and to help the movement move along.”
Keith Carson, former Alameda County Supervisor, spoke on the importance of political change and the similarity between the Roberts and that of Martin Luther King Jr.’s family. Zona allowed Ed to believe “[he] can go beyond [his] bounds,” just as Dr. King’s family did for him. “We’ve come so far,” Carson acknowledged, “but we have a lot more to do.”
The evening concluded with current Alameda County Supervisor, District 5, Nikki Fortunato Bas, who shared how Zona taught her the power of justice. Supervisor Bas voiced how “true justice is not given; it is built together.”
As the memorial came to a close, the CIL reflected on a woman who wore many hats — literally and figuratively — within our community and lived with a spirit of bravery, self-advocacy, perseverance, and genuine love for all. Thank you, Zona, for the incredible legacy you leave behind that will inspire us all, and one which will remain in our hearts forever.
