26 Moments From 26 Years of CFJ
Since our founding in 1996, generations of young leaders have been making countless memories while being on the forefront of change in our communities and in the future of California schools! To celebrate 26 years of movement building, leadership development, and youth empowerment, we’ve compiled a list of 26 of our favorite CFJ moments to…
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Honoring Native American History Month
While the United States has tried to eradicate Indigenous people and cultures across Turtle Island, this Native American History Month and National Day of Mourning, we are proclaiming from the top of our lungs, Indigenous People Are Still Here! Indigenous people, languages, and traditions have existed and thrived on these lands for millennia. Not only…
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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…
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George Floyd & Black Liberation #BlackLivesMatter
Statement From CFJ Leadership & Staff: Black Lives Matter. George Floyd’s life mattered. Breonna Taylor’s life mattered. Tony McDade, Nina Pop and Ahmaud Arbery’s lives all mattered. Not just because they were stolen at the hands of police and white supremacists, but because they were human beings, pieces of our communities and valuable voices we…
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SF Chronicle Letter to the Editor: An Economic Crisis Is The Worst Time To Cut Education Funding by Saa’un Bell
An economic crisis during COVID-19 is the worst time to cut education funding.
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Press Release: High School Students Across CA Talk School Closures, Impact And Needs In The Wake Of The Coronavirus
Young people are inheriting a California that is one of the wealthiest states in the United States but only for those who can afford it. Despite our state’s vast material wealth, Coronavirus has illuminated how easily overwhelmed and under-resourced our city and county infrastructures are in a time where crises are becoming commonplace. More importantly it has highlighted how essential public institutions like schools are, and the alarming need to invest in our local community and school infrastructures to provide the most basic of needs to our families and young people across the state.
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4 Things That Will Change Education in 2020
Update: this post was updated on 1/17 with the first official poll for Schools & Communities First. Three years deep into a Trump presidency, we are ready for change. Without a doubt, November 2020 will be our most significant election in two decades. It will be a Democracy lesson we will never forget. It’s up…
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Celebrating 5 Years of The Incredible Journey of The Student Voice Campaign
A legacy in the making turns 5 today— the Student Voice Campaign. Five years ago, the Student Voice Campaign transformed the perception and role of students as “essential” stakeholders in local decision-making processes in California’s public schools giving a voice to 4.5 million students. Today Californians for Justice celebrates an incredible historic victory in the…
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Youth Are Ready For A Radically New Future
Above: CFJ’s Angel Palencia and Nhada Ahmed kick off the State of the Youth event in San Jose last month. Young people are leading and taking action on a national and global scale, challenging systems of power that endanger their ability to thrive and live with dignity. In California, we have the 5th largest economy…
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