By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌, California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and the American Civil Liberties Union California Action (ACLU) joined hands to host a forum focused on equity and justice on Jan. 21.

Discussions at the event explored what the State and everyday Californians can do to protect families, communities, and individuals from the impacts of Trump administration policies.

Titled “Advancing Equity and Justice: A Policy Forum,” the meeting was held at the Legislative Office Building near the State Capitol in Sacramento.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber, Sen. Akilah Weber-Pierson (D-San Diego), and ACLU Action Executive Director David Trujillo were the speakers.

“This is the beginning of a journey. I want people to understand that this is not a quick-flash-in-the-pan kind of issue,” Weber said. “There will be lots of issues. We will probably hear about a new issue every day, but we should be prepared to understand what we’ve done, where we are, and how we need to move forward.”

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to end what he calls “Wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing” that resulted from former President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 13985. He stated that the Biden Administration “forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs,” under the banner of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and implemented them at various federal government departments and agencies.

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Just days after the executive orders were issued to clamp down on DEI initiatives, federal government entities began removing resources for underrepresented Americans from their web pages.

Trujillo said safeguarding communities’ freedoms is the “civil rights fight of our lifetimes” and he pledged that the ACLU and its California affiliates will continue to fight for civil rights and justice.

Presenters addressing public policy priorities included Eva Bitran, Director of Immigrants’ Rights, ACLU of Southern California; Nicole Ozer, Technology and Civil Liberties Director, ACLU of Northern California, Duke Cooney, Legislative Advocate, ACLU California Action; and Amir Whitaker, Senior Policy Counsel at the ACLU of Southern California.

Earlier in the day, ACLU leaders gathered at the State Capitol to urge state policymakers to lead the national fight against the Trump administration’s policies. In solidarity, Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) and CLBC member, Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson), attended the news conference.

ACLU’s Chief Political and Advocacy Officer Deirdre Schifeling, who attended the forum at the Legislative Building as well, said, anticipating the rollout of Trump’s agenda, ACLU affiliates have been preparing. She said the intention is to “defeat, delay and dilute” the President’s agenda at the state and local level.

Whitaker warned that the Department of Education (DOE) is in the crosshairs of the Trump administration.

“He’s threatening to eliminate the Department of Education, which houses the office of Civil Rights that investigates such things as bullying, which is most likely to impact Black students,” Whittaker said.

Weber-Pierson said, “We are entering very uncertain times.”

“It is extremely important that we don’t get so discouraged and disheartened that we give up,” she said. “We should use this as an opportunity to prepare: to learn as much as we can, to fight back as much as we can, to build up our communities and people as much as we can so that in the future it doesn’t matter who is in office.”

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