Commentary

Opinion: Not Knowing This Trivia Could Cost You

Published

7 years ago

October 24, 2019

In 1978, Mohammed Ali was easily the most famous person in America, Funkadelic topped the music charts, and The Wiz was just released. That year California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 13, profoundly changing the economic outlook for many. Along with wondering which Funkadelic album topped the charts it’s also fair to ask what is Prop. 13 and why is it important to me?

Between 1973 and 1977, property taxes on single-family homes skyrocketed, increasing by 50-100 percent. Families, seniors, and small businesses were faced with the losing their properties because they couldn’t afford to pay their property taxes. Many families were forced from their homes and small businesses were left with no choice but to raise prices.

In 1978 voters overwhelmingly passed Prop. 13, limiting property tax increases and putting an end to the days of unpredictable property taxes. Four decades later, Prop. 13 remains the only constitutional measure that helps control rising costs in California.

For small businesses and families of color, Prop. 13 has been a vital tool. By capping general property tax increases at 2 percent, it has allowed homeowners to budget for their future. For small business owners, Prop. 13 has provided certainty with their business costs. For you and me, it has kept costs down at neighborhood stores.

Today Prop. 13 is under assault. The timing could not be worse. A recent Wall Street Journal article confirms African American homeownership is at an all-time low, falling 8.6 percent since 2004. Weakening Prop. 13 will make housing more expensive, including for those who rent, and will have a profound impact on many small business owners who rent their place of business.

Homeownership is the primary path to building wealth and upward mobility for low and moderate-income families. A 2007 survey of Consumer Finances shows nationally that principal residences constituted 54% of all household wealth for African Americans.

Millennial voters of color, many of whom aren’t old enough to remember what it was like before Prop 13’s passage, need to understand that Prop 13 protects our community’s collective mobility. Now, more than ever, we have a duty to build wealth and be the sole proprietors of it. Weakening, or doing away with Prop 13 will hurt, not help, California’s African American community.

Business leaders, social justice organizations, veterans groups and more than 2,500 others have banded together to protect Prop 13 from becoming extinct. I am proud to include myself and the California State Conference of the NAACP as among those that stand in support of Prop 13.

The stakes are too high for consumers and homeowners, renters and businesses large and small. We can certainly be excused for not knowing Funkadelic’s chart topping album title, or not having seen The Wiz. That won’t cost us anything. But not knowing about the benefits of Prop 13 or the impacts if it were to go away, is not just costly to you and me, its costly for California and our economy as a whole.

More information can be found at https://www.fightforprop13.org

Alice Huffman is the president of the California/Hawaii NAACP and is also a member of the NAACP’s National Board. She runs her own consulting firm, AC Public Affairs, Inc.

Bay Area Policy Brief re commercial property tax reform.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 13 – 19, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 13 – 19, 2026

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May 15, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of May 6 – 12, 2026

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May 10, 2026

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On the Frontlines of Hate: NAACP Links Victims to Critical Support

The NAACP CA/HI has a long and well-established record of supporting victims of discrimination and hate crimes — providing critical referrals and, when necessary, direct assistance through legal advocacy and other forms of support. Beyond responding to incidents, the organization continues to advocate on broader civil rights issues, including voting rights and legal protections. It has also worked to counter efforts at the state and federal levels that could weaken the voting power of communities of color.

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2 weeks ago

May 1, 2026

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NAACP members at a recent advocacy day in Sacramento urging lawmakers to protect voting rights. Photo courtesy of California Black Media.

By Joe Kocurek
California Black Media

The California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP (CA/HI NAACP) has expanded its efforts to respond to rising hate incidents and civil rights complaints across California, supported in part by funding from California’s Stop the Hate Program

Through that grant, NAACP CA/HI has strengthened its ability to connect individuals experiencing hate or discrimination with critical resources. This includes referring those who file complaints to the CA vs Hate hotline, a statewide, non-emergency hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal created to help counter a more than 50% increase in reported hate crimes in California between 2020 and 2024. The system helps ensure incidents are documented, and victims are guided toward appropriate support.

LaJuana Bivens says the work of NAACP is as urgent as ever. Photo by Regina Wilson, California Black Media.

LaJuana Bivens, who has served in a number of roles within the NAACP, said California has seen an increase in civil rights violations and hate-related incidents.

“We have 52 branches, and they are constantly receiving complaints,” she said. “So, without the Stop the Hate, we would not be able to refer those cases up to attorneys at the state level. A lot of the people would not have had an opportunity to be heard.”

Carmen-Nicole Cox helps survivors of hate with their legal options. Photo courtesy of Carmen-Nicole Cox.

Carmen-Nicole Cox, an attorney who works with NAACP CA/HI – as a part of California’s Stop the Hate Program – provides legal consultation to victims of hate incidents and discrimination through her legal practice, the Cox Firm for Law and Policy.

She said the complaints she receives span a wide range of issues.

“People are having home builders and landlords refusing to provide repairs, a student was denied promotion in an academic program, and targeted scrutiny at work,” she said. “It’s typically employment; it’s housing; it’s education.

“We’ll meet and they’ll share their experiences,” she said. “And then I make assessments about possible legal claims.”

According to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), nearly 1,200 reports of hate against minority groups were submitted in 2024 through the CA vs Hate hotline and online portal for non-emergency incidents.

While the California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP, which has tens of thousands of members, does not directly investigate hate incidents or crimes, it plays a key role in connecting victims to the state’s reporting systems and support services.

Beyond responding to incidents, the organization continues to advocate on broader civil rights issues, including voting rights and legal protections. It has also worked to counter efforts at the state and federal levels that could weaken the voting power of communities of color.

Bivens recently traveled to Sacramento to speak with state lawmakers about voting rights during an advocacy day event hosted by the organization.

“It’s just so hard for communities of color to be up to date because of all of the confusing information coming from the federal level,” she said. “I love our great state of California because here it is possible to vote by mail and to vote early.

“And I’m seeing that trying to be eroded. So, I’m here to urge continued support for vote by mail and early voting.”

When Texas moved to redraw congressional districts in ways critics said would dilute minority voting strength, NAACP CA/HI supported the passage of Proposition 50 in California. The organization also intervened in United States v. Shirley Weber, where federal officials sought access to unredacted California voter records, including Social Security numbers, raising concerns about misuse and voter intimidation.

Cultivating the advocacy and leaderships of young people is central to NAACP’s mission to fight racism and dismantle inequality. Photo courtesy of California Black Media.

A federal district court dismissed that case in January 2026.

The organization’s current work builds on a long history of civil rights advocacy. Today, Bivens says, the organization’s mission remains as urgent as ever.

“We are the oldest, boldest, most feared Civil Rights organization,” Bivens said. “What we do every day is fight for better housing, education, economic development and political inclusion. We take it on because there are just so many people who need that support.

“You would be amazed that our phones ring every single day.”

Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in partnership with CA vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11. More information at www.cavshate.org/summit.

https://youtu.be/_k7UVhI-sN8