Posts by Hannah Esqueda
From the Archives: Lupe Navarro & How Students Can “Reach New Heights”
Above: Lupe Navarro (back row, third from left) with her fellow statewide student leaders in Californians for Justice. Last year, Lupe Navarro stood before the East Side Union High School District Board of Trustees and called on decision-makers to continue their commitment to East San Jose’s students and families. Her public comments came at a…
Read More ...Why we need Integration for Liberation
Last month student leaders, elected officials, researchers, educators and community organizers from California and beyond gathered in San Jose to discuss “Integration for Liberation.” While our conversation was rooted in our schools, we quickly saw that transformation and liberation must also ripple out to our communities. Schools today in New York and California are more…
Read More ...From the Archives: Naudika Williams and The Power of Student Voice
In 2014, Naudika Williams decided to take a stand for her community. As a new Oakland Unified School District student, she saw the disparities between how schools with lower income students and students of color were provided with drastically less resources. She became a member of Californians for Justice, and in 2014, helped lead the…
Read More ...Leaders of Color To Celebrate this Labor Day
This Labor Day we’re celebrating some amazing leaders of color who’ve forever left a mark on the labor movement. From racial justice and union integration, to human rights and gay activism, these leaders have shown that no movement is a single issue — we live complex lives and our fight for liberation must reflect that…
Read More ...Dare to Lean on Love, Power & Strength in Spite of Fear
Starting the Conversation Why this work matters Violence has long been a fundamental part of the American experience for communities of color and immigrants, but the visibility and frequency has jumped dramatically since this president took office in 2016. And now, with this past weekend’s historic level of violence and the mass ICE raids we, like…
Read More ...1 Year Later: We Still Demand Justice for Nia Wilson & Frederick Taft
Last July, Californians for Justice staff, students and communities were rocked by the murders of Nia Wilson in Oakland and Frederick Taft in Long Beach. We condemned these hate crimes for what they were, white supremacist violence aimed at destroying the love and joy in our Black communities, and called for justice in their names. …
Read More ...‘And I’m Holy by My Own’: Power and Politics in Black Music
June is Black Music Appreciation Month and at CFJ, we want to celebrate some of the artists that have us vibing every week as we fight for racial and educational justice! Listen to our #BlackMusicMonth Playlist on Spotify. Here are 5 of the artists inspiring our staff the most, and why: Nina Simone “One of…
Read More ...Blackface incident is just the latest moment of anti-blackness & racism in Fresno Unified
The recent news of a Bullard High School student donning blackface and using the n-word on social media has hurt our community deeply. While the student’s actions are disappointing, the student’s ability to make that choice exists in an America where there is a long and toxic history of systemic racism and anti-blackness. Incidents like…
Read More ...It’s on us to ensure students feel safe, supported & capable of thriving
Where do you feel safe? Where do you feel seen as a person — someone worthy of investment and support from others? For many students and communities of color in California, there are no easy answers to these questions. We know Black, Latinx, Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, immigrant and refugee, low-income, LGBQ, Trans and Gender…
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