ABOUT JUDY
Always looking for a good story
Judy has a particular passion for exploring stories focused on family (especially the dysfunctional types), community, race and social change…which means she never has a shortage of material.
Her work, primarily essays and short stories, have appeared in a variety of publications including USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, National Public Radio (NPR) and several small literary magazines---all which have given her the confidence to keep plugging away.
Judy’s work has been recognized by Hedgebrook, a women’s writers’ retreat on Whidbey Island in Washington State, where she was awarded two transformative residencies and experienced firsthand the power of women authoring change. A native of Alexandria, Virginia (before it was a tourist destination), in 2013, Judy was inducted in the Alexandria African American Hall of Fame in recognition of her writing and commitment to social change.
TRENDING!
RECENT WORK
WHAt NAOMI WANTED
Pink Panther Magazine
MORNING WALK
Untenured
Reparations: Yes or no? My family’s dilemma
Los Angeles Times
Why Black Folks Are In Such High Demand As TV Weather Forecasters
Still: The Journal
Judy’s life’s work has been grounded in the field of philanthropy. She recently served as President and CEO of The California Wellness Foundation for nine years, has been a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times op/ed pages and other national media outlets. She writes frequently on social change, the art of giving and the nonprofit sector.
She currently serves on the Hedgebrook board and she’s a former board member of the Surdna Foundation, Marlborough School for Girls, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Northern California, the Ms. Foundation for Women and The Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
Judy is a graduate of Northwestern University and California State University, East Bay.
She currently resides in Los Angeles.
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“Judy Belk is a phenomenal writer. I have had the joy of working with her for several years as a member of my master’s level narrative class, and an editing client. Judy has a unique ability to translate her remarkable life into timely and provocative essays, transporting the reader into time and place and person in such a profound way that we feel the story as much as read it. We are a part of it. It is a gift for all of us lucky enough to find her work on an op-ed page, NPR, a magazine, website, or here, on her own page. You are in for a treat.”
‘First Step Act’ Aids Newly Released Prisoners, but Philanthropy Is Still Much Needed
Chronicle of Philanthropy
When I first saw my sister Granada after her release from prison, she told me her return home made her feel as though she had landed on Mars.
"So much has changed. Everyone’s head is down — glued to their phones," she said.
