By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

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By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

As reports of antisemitic and Islamophobic threats and acts of hate and violence increase in California and across the country, the California Commission on the State of Hate (Commission) and California Civil Rights Department (CRD) continue to encourage Californians to take advantage of anti-hate resources available statewide, including the California vs Hate hotline and website.

“The Commission on the State of Hate stands united in shared humanity with the people of California in denouncing violence and hate,” said Commission Chair Russell Roybal in a statement.

“We recognize what is happening in the Middle East has devastated communities in California. Unfortunately, when these horrific events occur, instances of hate tend to rise as well. No person, whether they are Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, Israeli, or perceived as members of any of these groups, should be subject to prejudice or violence,” he added.

“If you experience or witness hate in California, we encourage you to contact CA vs Hate to report the incident and get connected to support and resources.”

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoffs, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment. This prohibition extends to discrimination based on religion, national origin, and race.

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One form is the adverse treatment of an individual based on their actual or perceived religious practices or membership in a particular racial or national origin group.

Another form is adverse treatment based on the assumption that the individual holds certain beliefs because of their religion, national origin, or race. There can also be adverse treatment due to the individual’s actual or perceived association with, or relationship to, a person of a particular religion, national origin, or race.

The UCLA Center for Equity and Inclusion recommends four tactics to respond to workplace bias or hate.

Interrupt Early

Workplace culture largely is determined by what is or isn’t allowed to occur. If people are lax in responding to bigotry, then bigotry prevails.

Use or Establish Policies 

Call upon existing policies to address bigoted language or behavior. Work with your personnel director or human resources department to create new policies and procedures, as needed. Also ask your company to provide anti-bias training.

Go Up the Ladder

If behavior persists, take your complaints up the management ladder. Find allies in upper management and call on them to help create and maintain an office environment free of bias and bigotry.

Band Together

Like-minded colleagues also may form an alliance and then ask the colleague or supervisor to change his or her tone or behavior.

CA vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal. Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NO-HATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT or online at any time. Hate acts can be reported in 15 different languages through the online portal and in over 200 languages when calling the hotline. For individuals who want to report a hate crime to law enforcement immediately or who are in imminent danger, please call 911. For more information on CA vs Hate, please visit CAvsHate.org.

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By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) was established in 1967 when African American members of the California Legislature, under the leadership of former State Sen. Mervyn Dymally, came together to address issues faced by Black Californians.

The origins of the CLBC date back to 1918 when Frederick M. Roberts was elected to the California State Assembly. Roberts was the first African American to serve in the California State Legislature. In those early years, legislative efforts focused on abolishing laws and policies that restricted African Americans from fully exercising their civil, social and political rights.

During the 1960s, members believed that a caucus representing concerns of the African American community would provide political influence and visibility far beyond their numbers.

Today, the CLBC consists of 12 members.

During the 2024 legislative session, the CLBC hopes to secure funding for critical programs and organizations working to improve the lives of Black Californians.

California Black Media spoke with Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), chair of the CLBC, about the organization’s priorities, challenges and plans for the next legislative session.

What does your organization do to improve the lives of Black people in California?

The 12 members of the California Legislative Black Caucus collaboratively develop and advocate for policies addressing economic justice, education, healthcare, criminal justice reform, and other issues impacting Black Californians. In 2024, the Caucus is prioritizing a reparations legislative package in response to the historic two-year Reparations study and report.

What was your greatest success over the course of the last year?

In 2023, the Caucus achieved legislative success by securing significant investments for institutions and programs supporting Black lives and advancing justice totaling more than $320 million dollars. Additionally, we introduced 10 legislative priorities, with three chartered into law.

Our nonprofit arm raised close to $3 million, funding our signature events and programs, like our annual Frederick Roberts college scholarship program, which supported 150 students this year with $3,500 awards, and our annual African American Leaders for Tomorrow program at California State Dominguez Hills.

In your view, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Housing, education, public safety and equity across the board remain the most significant challenges.

What was your organization’s biggest challenge?

Despite our best efforts to pool resources and collaborate with strategic partners, the ongoing challenge is the insufficient funding to address the breadth of issues faced by Black communities.

Does your organization support or plan to get involved in the push for reparations in California?

Absolutely. We are actively preparing for the 2024 legislative fight for reparations. Two of our caucus’s seasoned legislators, Sen. Bradford and Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer, served on the reparations task force. From the two-year study, we have created a framework to achieve legislative and budget wins as well as to work collaboratively with strategic partners up and down the state.

How can more Californians of all backgrounds get involved in the work you’re doing?

We encourage all Californians to support Black legislators and join the movement to advocate for a better California for all, ensuring fair, just and equitable representation. Participation is crucial for creating positive and transformational change in California.

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