CFJ Youth Leader Camron Advocates for Long Beach
Growing up in the South Wrigley District in Long Beach, Californians For Justice Youth Leader Camron knew he wanted better for himself and his community. “It’s a place that I didn’t wanna stay,” said Camron. “It inspired me to try to do my best, even if my peers didn’t believe in me.” Though he initially…
Celebrating 25 Years of SYLA Across California
Each year, Californians for Justice offices across the state transform into the Summer Youth Leadership Academy (SYLA). This intensive 5-week program focuses on political education, public speaking, organizing tactics, and campaign work. What started as neighborhood canvassing and local word-of-mouth recruitment in our Bay Area regions has expanded greatly. Today, SYLA spans four regions across…
Series of Wins: Securing Safety and Sanctuary in Schools
Series of Wins: Securing Safety and Sanctuary in Schools Year round and beyond election season, youth leaders are making noise. From Long Beach to the Bay, our organizing is rewriting what’s possible in education and in our communities when we fight back together. Because of youth leadership — and your continued support —we’ve scored wins…
End of 2025 Legislative Session: How Did We Fare?
The 2025-26 California State Budget has officially passed the legislature! On Sunday, Governor Newsom hit his deadline for signing – or vetoing – California bills, bringing the 2025-26 legislative cycle to a close. In this update, the CFJ Policy Team breaks down what that means for the racial justice & youth power bills on our…
California Budget Protects Schools, Not People: Communities Left Vulnerable Amid ICE Raids
The 2025-26 California State Budget has officially passed the legislature! We need bold, values-driven leadership in California, which has never been more urgent. We are living in the wake of recent ICE raids and the deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines in Los Angeles, which have deeply unsettled immigrant children, students, and…
California Student Leader Opportunity for 2024-25
Calling Student Leaders! After a successful second year of the Statewide Student Advisory Board, Californians for Justice is in search of 22 youth leaders across the state who are passionate about enhancing their leadership skills, deepening their political analysis, and playing a critical role in shaping the future of Community Schools. What is the Statewide…
Highlighting Youth Voice and Youth Wins
As we gear up for fall, we want to share with you some of our favorite moments and wins so far in the earlier seasons of the year. We started off strong with a packed first quarter: We kicked off our Community Schools Listening Campaign with Statewide Student Advisory Board to offer a platform for Black…
Calling all Allies! CFJ Needs Your Support
What’s going down? Black and brown youth are the leaders we need to create schools rooted in racial justice and liberation. This vision guides our work and relationships at Californians for Justice. But right now, those values and vision for CA public schools are under attack. For the last few months we have been the…
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…