Posts by Hannah Esqueda
Black Lives Matter Long Beach Statement on Violence in Long Beach Unified School District
The following statement was released this week by Black Lives Matter Long Beach in response to the shooting of 18-year-old Manuela (Mona) Rodriquez by an armed LBUSD School Safety Officer on 9/27/21. Californians for Justice is proud to co-sign this statement and will continue working towards police-free schools in our districts in solidarity with community…
Read More ...Executive Director Taryn Ishida Announces Transition Plans
After 8 incredible years leading Californians for Justice, Executive Director Taryn Ishida is moving on to the next adventure. Read her letter below and stay tuned for more info about the transition plan as we gear up for the next chapter at CFJ. I knew about Californians for Justice long before I had ever considered…
Read More ...School Safety Means We Keep Us Safe
This fall has brought renewed concerns about campus safety. But while we all want to see our students safe, we know that pro-police policies will only cause more harm. Having cops on campus doesn’t work. Having police present on campus means Black and Brown students, API students, Native students and students with disabilities are all…
Read More ...20 Years of Summer Youth Leadership Academy!
Cue the air horns! Sound the drums! From the humble roots of backyard BBQs, neighborhood canvassing, and word of mouth recruitment in our Bay Area regions, the CFJ Summer Youth Leadership Academy is now in four cities across California. On this 20th anniversary year, we celebrated with our largest SYLA class ever with 69 students!!…
Read More ...Remember to Vote By September 14
Hey Friends, It wasn’t that long ago that we were celebrating the major win of seeing historic funding levels pouring into our schools — but already there’s a threat on the horizon. COVID-19 relief funds are one-time funds, meaning our districts are not guaranteed this level of support in the coming years. This makes the…
Read More ...CFJ Featured in National Media Series on Youth Organizing in the U.S.
Young people throughout history have come together to radically transform culture, policies, and the faces of politics. Californians for Justice is honored to be featured in an incredibly important issue series. With 25 years of organizing history and experience in California at our backs, long-time CFJ organizers and leaders, Saa’un Bell and Geordee Mae Corpuz…
Read More ...Students Need A Return to Community, Not Just Classrooms
Back to school season is upon us and the stakes are high for students and families across California. Many are starting at new campuses, meeting new teachers and navigating social settings they haven’t been exposed to since before the pandemic began. And if that isn’t already overwhelming enough, young people are also carrying the trauma…
Read More ...Student Power Wins Big to Pave Way for Racially Just Schools
We did it – all of our collective hard work paid off! On Friday, Governor Newsom signed the AB 130, a K-12 education trailer bill with HISTORIC investments in education including nearly all of the CFJ student demands from our Relationship-Centered Schools and Reimagine and Rebuild campaigns. This budget shows that we are winning the…
Read More ...CFJ Youth Leaders Secure Major Wins in Long Beach & Fresno Unified
We’re so excited to share even more incredible wins from our youth organizers! Our student leaders won major initiatives and secured millions in funding for new policies in Fresno and Long Beach Unified. Fresno Expanding Ethnic Studies & Paying Students for Expertise and Labor That’s right! This summer and fall, Fresno Unified will expand the…
Read More ...