Sacramento ACT mourns the loss of Howard Lawrence, who passed away on March 12, 2026. Howard was a core ACT leader for the last three decades, served as a Board Member, and even Interim Executive Director in the mid 2010s. Howard was grounded in his Methodist faith and believed in the power of faith-based community organizing to build long-lasting change. He dedicated thousands of hours in his local organizing committee, was a strong negotiator, and led countless research and public actions. Howard built relationships with his fellow congregants, community members, labor partners, elected officials, and leaves us with a legacy longer than we can list. Howard spent his life working to improve systems in order to address inequities. Sacramento ACT and the region are better because of his work. Our deepest sympathies to his wife Cynthia (also an ACT Leader) and the rest of their family.
“The central lesson I learned was that real change comes when people come together with shared hopes and dreams. Organizing means building something from the inside out. Good people can make almost any system work. I have spent my life working within the system to make change.” —Howard Lawrence
In faith and love,
Tere Flores-Onofre
Sacramento ACT mourns the loss of Howard Lawrence
