Whole Child Equity Partnership has officially launched as Bringing Up California at their 2025 Inaugural Summit. As a multi-racial, multi-sector coalition of community and statewide organizations, advocates, community organizers, direct service providers and issue area experts, the coalition advocates for holistic policies and programs that center the solutions and needs of California’s Black, Native American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Latine young children and their families that face the greatest systemic challenges. 

 

Grounded in racial equity and economic justice, the coalition is shaping California into the best state to have, raise, and be a child. The Bringing Up California Inaugural Summit, held this week in Oakland, featured panel discussions and collaborative dialogue focused on how to center families during times of uncertainty, build lasting advocacy efforts, and strengthen cross-sector collaboration. Change Consulting partnered with Bringing Up California to support branding, communications strategy, and messaging. Follow Bringing Up California on their Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky and LinkedIn for the latest on their work.

We were thrilled to support our longtime partners at the Akonadi Foundation in unveiling a bold new strategic direction, Oakland for All: Building a Racially Just Oakland. For over two decades, Akonadi has been at the forefront of advancing racial justice in Oakland. As they enter this pivotal new chapter, we collaborated closely to refine their messaging, align their vision, and bring it to life through a refreshed, story-driven website. We are proud to contribute to Akonadi’s powerful commitment to community organizing, cultural power, and movement infrastructure. Check out the new look and full strategic direction here, and listen to their Oakland for all: Liberation playlist while doing so. 

 

Last year, we partnered with the visionary leaders of the Justice Beyond Punishment Collaborative (JBPC), a coalition of several New York organizations led by directly impacted people working to end racist narratives and state violence by replacing punishment and incarceration with effective approaches to safety, to co-create a messaging guide that advances a shared vision of safety, dignity, and belonging. Grounded in research-informed best practices for social change communications, this guide is designed to support messaging that not only resonates but also inspires meaningful action. Check out the messaging guide here. 

Image by: Zimmytws

 

“There’s nothing beautiful about cutting medicaid,” said Hiram Soto, member of We Are California. The gutting of essential services, resulting from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, threatens millions, from the elderly and disabled to working families, and undermines economic stability. Hiram, like many Americans, knows what’s at stake: his retired father has advanced Parkinson’s and depends on caregivers for basic tasks like eating, bathing, and getting out of bed. For these reasons, Hiram joined the We Are California movement to fight back, demanding an economy that prioritizes care, not tax breaks for the ultra-rich. “Healthcare is not a luxury. It is the foundation of a strong economy and a just society for everyone, blue or red.” Read the full opinion piece in Capitol Weekly

 

“I’ll never forget the feeling of dread that this country was barreling towards a future where my baby daughter would have fewer rights than I had.” As attacks on bodily autonomy, democracy, and marginalized communities escalate across the U.S., individuals like Naa Amissah-Hammond, Chief Strategy Officer of Groundswell Fund, and other grassroots leaders and organizations, remain on the frontlines of resistance. In this piece for Ms. Magazine, Naa highlights the urgent need for sustained philanthropic support for reproductive justice and gender equity movements, especially as major funders retreat from resourcing the essential work that Groundswell Fund and Groundswell Action Fund  lead to advance inclusive democracy. Read more here. 

 

In May, members of the Essie Justice Group spent 96 hours bailing out four Black mothers from Lynwood Women’s Jail in California. Despite having over $231,000 in cashier’s checks, they faced long delays due to bureaucratic inefficiency and neglect, including a 6-hour wait to post bail and additional delays caused by staff errors. “The delays we experienced are not anomalies; they are routine tactics found in California’s criminal legal system,” said Tanasia Newman, Senior Communications Manager at Essie Justice Group, in Prism Reports. As the California lead of the Black Mama’s Bail Out campaign, Essie continues to urge lawmakers to shift investments from incarceration to mental health, housing, and other programs, emphasizing that Black women are the backbone of reentry and care in their communities. Read the full story here and be sure to check out their 10th Anniversary Impact Report: Healing, Sisterhood, Power. 

 

“We know, and evidence confirms, that increased incarceration does not guarantee increased safety…instead, real public safety comes from investing in prevention, intervention, rehabilitation, and healing,” said Sikander Iqbal, Deputy Director of Urban Peace Movement (UPM), who credits years of advocacy and community work by organizations – like UPM – focused on addressing root causes of violence and community-based safety for increased safety. Since 2024, Oakland has seen a 33% drop in crime and that’s without increased police funding. Despite progress, powerful interests try to push “tough on crime” agendas. However, UPM remains committed to building true safety. Read the full story in Oakland Voices. 

 

CHANGE NEWS:

We Love Oakland wins two  Telly Awards!

The video series we partnered with inBloom Films to create as part of Akonadi Foundation’s We Love Oakland Campaign has been recognized with two prestigious Telly Awards. 

The Telly Awards celebrate excellence in video and television across all screens highlighting the most innovative and impactful visual storytelling from around the globe. Receiving over 13,000 entries globally from 6 continents and all 50 states, the awards honor standout content from leading creative agencies, television networks, production companies, and media organizations. The video series was awarded the Silver in the Arts & Culture and Bronze in Social Impact. We are proud to help create meaningful, purpose-driven content that moves culture forward with such inspiring partners.