Client News

So far in 2022, the California Black Freedom Fund has distributed $10.8 million to fund 17 Black-led policy and advocacy organizations that are changing culture, policy, and systems in California. California Black Freedom Fund aims to ensure that California’s ecosystem of Black power-building organizations have the sustained support they need to eradicate systemic and institutional racism. Read the report: https://bit.ly/3RX6HRK

On Tuesday, October 4, Oakland Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan, City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, and Councilmember Carroll Fife will introduce a resolution aimed at reforming the city’s juvenile legal system. The community-driven collaborative plan was created by the Free Our Kids coalition, a group of 10 local community organizations including Urban Peace Movement, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Young Women’s Freedom Center, and more. If passed, Alameda County would partner with directly impacted youth and youth advocates to create a plan that explores a rehabilitative, health-focused, and care-first model of youth justice. Read more at the Davis Vanguard.

“What we need to do…is to shift our culture and understanding of how we treat each other and put pressure on institutions to change.” Annie Lee, director of policy at Chinese for Affirmative Action, recently spoke with Los Angeles Times reporter Jeong Park for the Essential California newsletter about legislation signed by Governor Newsom aimed at addressing anti-Asian hate in public spaces. The No Place for Hate bills were co-created and based on self-reported data on hate incidents collected by the Stop AAPI Hate Coalition.

As part of their work to build the political power of Black communities, Black Futures Lab will invest $200,000 in organizations in North Carolina, California, Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Georgia engaging and mobilizing Black voters for the midterm elections. Applications are due by October 28. Learn more about the Black Voter Organizing Innovations Project, the requirements to receive funding, and how to apply at bit.ly/black-organizing-fund.

 

Congratulations to Young Women’s Freedom Center!

 

Last week, the Young Women’s Freedom Center celebrated an important milestone in the life of the 30+ year-old organization: Jessica Nowlan, former executive director, passed the title on to co-executive directors Abigail Richards and Julia Arroyo. In true Young Women’s Freedom Center fashion, three generations of leadership, and so many members of the beautiful community that they have built, came out to honor this moment and the work they have accomplished together. Congratulations to Julia and Abigail, and to Jessica! Check out YWFC social media for highlights from the event.

 

Coming Up 

We are so excited to join our colleagues in the field for the 2022 Narrative Power Summit next week organized by Radical Communicators Network and ReFrame. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn from and with each other, take stock of the conditions of the social justice communications field and the social movements to which we belong, and vision how we can continue to use strategic communications in the movement for racial and social justice.

We’ll be busy at the conference next week but back with more updates from the Change Consulting team soon! Follow us on social media for highlights from the in-person and virtual convening.