In the earliest months of the new federal administration, the President has taken a flurry of actions that harm communities across the U.S. These strategies are disrupting federal operations and weakening government programs. Learn more about how Trump’s executive orders could impact Black people in this piece written by Alexsis Rodgers, Political Director of Black to the Future Action Fund.

“The funding freeze is leaving thousands of families in limbo across the country. It’s devastating,” said Ramla Sahid, Executive Director of the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA), who joined KPBS Midday Edition to unpack what the recent federal policy changes mean for refugees and providers in San Diego. In early January, the current administration shut down the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. A federal judge blocked the executive order halting but the administration has yet to fully restart operations. “What we’re doing is we’re leaning into and expanding our mutual aid support and direct services amid federal failures because it was insufficient before.” Listen to the segment here. 

Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas championed $3.5 million that was approved by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to fund services for immigrants targeted for deportation by President Donald Trump. The funds will be portioned for specific purposes including paying for legal services for immigrants detained and placed in deportation proceedings, funding the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership, and more. This funding package is the continuation of a newly formed ad hoc committee – Alameda County Together for All, or ACT for All, which we shared about in a previous blog. Read more about the first-of-its-kind funding package in the San Francisco Chronicle. 

California’s Medicaid program serves 14.9 million people. Republicans voted for a budget bill that could significantly cut Medicaid, which provides health insurance for low-income individuals and disabled people. “People need these resources to manage their day-to-day lives,” said Rudolpho Morales-Ayon, supporter of We Are California‘s Hands Off Healthcare Campaign; Rudolpho is a community college student who enrolled in Medicaid as a child and continues to rely on the health insurance program. Read more personal stories of California residents who depend on Medicaid in Cal Matters.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of California Black Freedom Fund’s (CBFF) launch, and Executive Director Marc Philpart says their plans for the future are ambitious. “We are focused on developing the policy infrastructure, the technology, and the compliance and legal framework to sustain and grow our impact.” CBFF was founded in 2020 in the wake of George Floyd’s murder to invest in Black organizing across California. The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, a founding partner of CBFF, spoke with Marc about the organization’s priorities and the need for funders to stay true to their commitments and keep investing unapologetically in Black leaders and community advocacy. Learn more in this conversation with Marc Philpart of the California Black Freedom Fund. 

ICYMI: Check out this conversation with Ludovic Blain, Executive Director of California Donor Table in Inside Philanthropy where he discusses his take on what progressive power-building can look like locally and nationally, and why progressive donors need to embrace multiple forms of philanthropy and political giving. 

Last year, Asian Health Services (AHS) and Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) launched a community education initiative for Chinese seniors to foster dialogue about alternatives to policing and address the root causes of crime. Their work is featured in the short film Love Has Two Meanings and an exhibition at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center which we previously shared in this blog and here. 

Oakland’s Black and Asian American communities are continuing to rethink public safety. The program’s success has led to plans to replicate the initiative annually and expand the film’s screenings to other cities. Read more in AXIOS.

Also, there’s a new Oakland photo exhibit that uplifts Asian and Black Unity. Based on the Asian-Black Racial Healing Project, spearheaded by Asian Health Services (AHS) and Baywell Health, the From Chinatown to West Oakland, Community Portraits of Healing photo exhibit by Joyce Xi emphasizes collaboration and solidarity across cultures. The photo exhibit will be on display at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center until April 1. Read more in Oakland Voices. 

This month, and every day, we recognize the intelligence, drive, resilience, and leadership of women, particularly Black women and women of color, the force behind the movement for racial justice and Black Liberation. Your commitment to driving the material changes our communities need to achieve a just, inclusive world inspires us each and every day. We thank you for being a CHANGEMAKER!