Lace Janine Watkins Lacie Janine Watkins, named after her grandmother Lacie May Scott, was born to Hubert and Bobbye Watkins in Camden, Arkansas, 10 days before the March on Washington in 1963. Lace’s legacy of activism deeply embodied and was inspired by her mother, grandmother and Catherine DeBose, whom she lovingly called “Aunt Cathy”. The legacy of Black History in her family and others who advocated before her inspired her to advance her thought-provoking ideas. Lace strove to make her parents, Hubert Watkins, a Navy Chief Veteran, and Bobbye Watkins, a prominent educator in San Diego, proud as she worked for racial and social justice, cultural progress, and relational ethics, all centered deeply in her Christian faith.

Lace, a fun-loving and beautiful woman, enjoyed makeup, fashion, music, reading and writing. She strove to be of service in her daily life, and embodied grace and compassion. She worked with homeless outreaches and was always active in some type of community service. Lace was transparent about her story and the principles she stood for. She faced many trials and tribulations, which she was not shy about discussing. Despite the hardships endured, she woke up every day asking, “Who am I going to be today?” and encouraged others around her to do the same. She selflessly gave of herself with all she had and served to honor her parents, ancestors, and God. She was loved by so many all over the world.

Lace worked for the County of San Diego for 25 years. During that time she developed an initiative for the County of San Diego addressing worker mental health, including recommendations for different cohorts; it is still extant. She received the 2013 Director’s Checkbook award for those efforts and the 2018 Employee of the Year. She was a proud leader in her union, SEIU 221, and led initiatives in electoral politics, both on the local and statewide levels as Community Director for Alliance for a Better California.

Lace’s work and activism in social justice included faith-based, secular, electoral/institutional, LGBTQ+ and grassroots environments spanned three decades. Lace worked in direct services like job coaching individuals with disabilities, with youth in group homes, and as a substance abuse counselor for many years. She served on the boards of the San Diego Peace Resource Center, Activist San Diego, San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice (Founding Member), and on the board of Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference, where she held the portfolio for Peace and Justice. She addressed various institutions and groups, including Cirque du Monde’s Social Circus Board. She wrote a column for Urban Connections, a quarterly that focused on urban Anabaptist practice and was featured in Timbrel, the quarterly for Mennonite women. She continued this work into 2023 when she was involved in many different organizations, committees, and communities including being in leadership at Vista La Mesa Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the SENT network for Pacific Northwest Mennonites (which she was also working towards licensure in), the Lemon Grove Forward Club and the Dignified Learning Project.

In 2018, Lace Watkins created an online community on Facebook with the goal of lessening and mitigating the harm endured by Black and Brown people, perpetuated by white people and white supremacy. The community she created did exactly that. Lace shared, “Lace on Race was founded because I was convinced that what was needed in the racial justice sphere was encouragement for people to look inward and do deep internal work, even as they were committed to change work in the communities where they live and serve. It is not enough to do one-off actions that may be sporadic and incomplete; for change to be durable and reliable, interior work is also important.”

As it grew, in January of 2021, Lace on Race became an incorporated non-profit, Lace on Race Center for Racial Equity. In April 2021, Lace Watkins became the full-time Executive Director of Lace on Race Center for Racial Equity. Lace provided consulting and coaching for individuals and groups and presented nationally and internationally to organizations. She believed relational ethics is what ultimately leads to deep and durable individual and collective change. She enjoyed writing and creating videos that combined her personal experiences with advancing racial/social justice change. Lace gave her all to this work, while simultaneously still being actively involved in her community. “It is not hyperbole when I say that the greatest blessing of my entire life was when we launched Lace on Race. It has been my greatest pleasure to walk with you.” Lace wrote.

Lace’s all-time favorite song was ‘The House that Love Built,’ by Melissa Manchester. It embodied not only her work with Lace on Race, but also the way she lived her life every moment of the day. Her influence changed lives, relationships, policies, and organizations. Lace talked about ‘moving the stone’ of racial justice, and she did just that. Those who love and miss her will envision her always with the perfect lip, generous smile, and delighting in an outfit and fabulous wig curated just for the moment. We remember her warmth and know she made the world a more beautiful place.