What does it take to celebrate Black Futures?
Above: Oakland youth leaders with CFJ stand before a mural of Oscar Grant — the young black man murdered by BART police in 2009. We’re halfway through Black History/Black Futures Month and felt it’s time for this conversation. For decades February has been marked in the U.S. calendar as Black History Month — a time…
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How Aquarius Are You Quiz! A Nod to Our Favorite Aquarius Activists
Aquarius Season is here, and we aren’t mad about it! What better way to start off 2020 than with the spirit of true revolutionaries. We love Aquarius leaders for their wild vision, strong conviction, and rebel at heart attitudes. As a way to celebrate the golden Aquarius energy, here’s a quiz to see how Aquarius…
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A new year and a new office in San Jose!
More than 15 years ago we moved to our office on Las Plumas Avenue. Since then we haven’t stopped fighting for justice and building youth power in Eastside San Jose. Luckily over the years our work, staff and base has grown leading us to search for a new home. We didn’t have to look far…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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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