Starting the Conversation Why this work matters Violence has long been a fundamental part of the American experience…
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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. …
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Use Social Media to Change Culture
For many of us, a significant portion of our lives takes place on social media. We use it for entertainment, community and building our very own businesses. But it can be hard to know how to bring some of our real life values into the online space. How do we share what we…
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‘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…
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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…
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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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Next Step in Diversity Training: Teachers Learn to Face Their Unconscious Biases
(As published in EdWeek, by Sarah Schwartz on May 14, 2019) Diversity training asks teachers to understand students’ different backgrounds. Implicit-bias training goes further, and asks teachers to look at themselves Teachers—and their implicit biases—can directly impact the opportunities afforded to students of color. Teachers make the first decisions about behavioral consequences that lead to referrals…
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Teacher Appreciations: More than just a week in May
Recent teacher strikes in communities throughout California have sparked a public conversation this year on how we value teachers, and the answer is simply: not enough. Teachers are the backbone of our public school system, working long hours for inadequate pay all while receiving few resources and limited professional development. This is especially true for…
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The Problem with Earth Day
Earth Day is problematic. For years the needs and conservation leadership from Black, Brown and Indigenous folks have been ignored by the environmental justice movement despite our communities suffering the most. Across the U.S. we continue to see examples of the inequity built into environmental justice efforts. Cities like Flint, Michigan still don’t have clean…
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CFJ Youth Leading Together with LBUSD to Interrupt Bias in the Classroom
This weekend CFJ youth leaders and staff led a powerful bias training for Long Beach Unified School District teachers and administrators. The session was a unique twist to traditional trainings that center conversations on adults rather than students. CFJ youth leaders led the space and trained LBUSD staff participants on the ways implicit biases show…
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