In California

Cal f Justice in California

To mark the Rosenberg Foundation’s 75th anniversary, leading social justice advocates and thinkers look to the future.

The Remaking of California Manuel Pastor Immigrant Rights: Bucking the National Trend Mina Titi Liu & Thomas A. Saenz Smart About Safety Benjamin Todd Jealous & Lateefah Simon Sowing Change in the San Joaquin Valley Hugo Morales Securing Justice for Farm Workers Dolores Huerta An Economy that Works for All of Us Madeline Janis Building a Real Progressive Movement for Change Eva Paterson Bridging Racial and Ethnic Divides Maria Echaveste One, Larger Vision for Justice Kate Kendell & Stewart Kwoh contents Timothy P. Silard & Daniel Grossman Editors’ Note

When we tell the story of the Rosenberg Foundation’s creation, we often note that its founder, Max Rosenberg, left his wealth to the foundation be- The leaders who are cause he had no heirs. Clearly, that is not true. All of us who are dedicated featured here are just a to building a fair and equitable society are his heirs—just as we are the heirs of Cesar Chavez, Ella Baker, and Fred Korematsu; of Harvey Milk, Thurgood few of the remarkable Marshall, and Luke Cole. We are their heirs, and we are the beneficiaries of a great inheritance of passion. It is an inheritance we must steward, grow, and and visionary pass on stronger than we received it. individuals throughout This is the inheritance of passion that drives the leading advocates and thinkers who have lent their voices to Justice In California, a publication mark- our state and country ing the Foundation’s 75th anniversary. The leaders who are featured here are just a few of the remarkable and visionary individuals throughout our state who have committed and country who have committed their lives to social and economic equity. These are leaders who, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “refuse to believe their lives to social and that the bank of justice is bankrupt.” economic equity. These We hope that this publication can help to inform our public conversation on how best to realize our common dreams for justice and equality in Cal- are leaders who, as Dr. ifornia. Tom Saenz and Mina Titi Liu outline how California can pioneer new ways to secure full civic and economic integration for immigrants. La- Martin Luther King, teefah Simon and Ben Jealous highlight the urgent need to reform the state Jr., said, “refuse to and country’s broken prison system, which is rife with racial disparity and is collapsing under its own weight. Dolores Huerta and Hugo Morales discuss believe that the bank of the path to justice and opportunity for farm workers and other marginalized communities in rural California. Madeline Janis makes the case for building justice is bankrupt.” an economy that works for all of us. It is clear that much remains to be done, and success on these critical issues will demand that we turn the talk about intersection among multiple interests into new ways of working together, that we move beyond a diverse set of progressive causes to build a cohesive progressive movement. As Manuel Pastor writes in the introduction to this publication, the communities we represent comprise a very solid majority of the state—communities of color, LGBT, low-income families, labor, and progressives. What is not yet clear is whether we will mobilize collectively and sufficiently to move a proactive and systematic progressive policy agenda. So, we asked Eva Paterson, Maria Echaveste, Stewart Kwoh and Kate Kendell to share with us strategies for moving beyond our respective issue silos and constituencies to build the coalitions that will help us achieve our common agenda. Real progress is within our reach if we commit to working together for equality and justice. The pieces in this publication offer real hope that in five years, when we celebrate Rosenberg’s 80th anniversary, we will have been able to claim victory on some of the critical social and economic justice issues that confront us in the Golden State. At Rosen- berg Foundation, we are resolved to back the dynamic leaders and coalitions across California fighting for justice, so that, in five years we will have achieved all this:

• The DREAM Act will no longer be a dream. • No child will be working in California’s fields. • While our state constructs economic superhighways to quality job opportunities, we will have built commuter lanes for families who have been chronically marginalized. • A second chance will mean just that, a fresh start for people coming out of prison. • Our state will no longer be home to the world’s largest women’s prison. • And we will have changed the odds for children exposed to violence.

We have no doubt that, by working together as one community, we can begin to build a current in California that will be felt across the country. In the words of Cesar Chavez, “We have seen the future, and the future is ours.” Timothy P. Silard is president of the Rosenberg Foundation. Daniel Grossman is chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. contents

context

Robert E. Friedman & Lewis H. Butler Reflections on the Past 75 Years �� 2 Manuel Pastor The Remaking of California �� 4

critical next frontiers

Mina Titi Liu & Thomas A. Saenz Immigrant Rights: Bucking the National Trend �� 6 Benjamin Todd Jealous & Lateefah Simon Smart About Safety �� 8 Hugo Morales Sowing Change in the San Joaquin Valley ��10 Dolores Huerta Securing Justice for Farm Workers ��12 Madeline Janis An Economy that Works for All of Us ��14

Building New Coalitions

Eva Paterson Building a Real Progressive Movement for Change ��16 Maria Echaveste Bridging Racial and Ethnic Divides ��18 Kate Kendell & Stewart Kwoh One, Larger Vision for Justice ��20

aAbboutout ourOur contri Contributorsbutors �� 22 rosenRosenbergberg Foundationfoundation Timeline timeline ��24

Justice in California 1 context

Robert E. Friedman & Lewis H. Butler Reflections on the Past 75 Years Can we learn anything about the future of jus- Indeed, looking back at the full span of seven and a half decades, the tice in California and the role of the Founda- Foundation has shown an endur- ing focus on the protection and op- tion in that quest by looking at the past? portunities of California’s children, immigrants, disadvantaged and mar- In this publication devoted to remarkable Foundation. ginalized communities, and our un- the future of justice in California Despite (and perhaps because of) derdeveloped agricultural areas, and the role of the Rosenberg Foun- the “broad charitable purposes and notably the Central and San Joaquin dation in that quest, we have been wide latitude” Max Rosenberg gave Valleys. This focus, the essays in this asked to reflect on the past 75 years, to the Foundation he endowed and volume suggest, likely will continue which raises the question: Can you that bears his name, the same val- in the decades ahead. learn anything about the future by ues and many of the same issues Other themes of our history prob- looking at the past? that characterized the grantmaking ably will extend into the future as The two of us, together, have served of this Foundation during its 75 year well. We almost certainly will con- for more than 34 years on the Rosen- history likely will extend forward: as tinue to focus on California, not berg Foundation’s Board of Direc- articulated in the first 10-year report just because it is our home, but be- tors—too long, no doubt, but less of the Foundation, “an early interest cause, as historian Chuck Wallen- than half the Foundation’s history. in agricultural areas of the state, the berg noted, “California is like the Nevertheless, we will pretend to have character and diversity of the popu- rest of the United States, only more the understanding and breadth to en- lation of California, [and] the impact so.” We are broadly aware that Cali- compass the continuing legacy of this of national events within the state.” fornia is among the first majority mi-

2 nority states, and that if we can make California work for all people, it may We almost certainly will serve well not only for us, but as a national and international model. Deep in the Foundation’s ethos is continue to focus on California, the belief in the dignity and promise of all people in all their diversity, and not just because it is our home, the conviction that we will all do better if everyone has full protections but because, as historian Chuck and the full, unhindered opportunity to contribute. Indeed, the Founda- Wallenberg noted, “California tion continues to bring together the tremendous diversity of California’s is like the rest of the United people, not only in our work, but also on our Board and through our States, only more so.” partnerships and convenings, be- lieving that the business community of the Central Valley), Ben Jealous conditions and opportunities. can understand, embrace, and bene- (who brought his experience fighting But if change is constant, the aims fit from social and economic justice, for criminal justice and civil rights to of the Foundation, as articulated a that police and correctional officers Rosenberg before going to lead a re- quarter of a century ago on the oc- are as much a part of the solution birth of the NAACP), and Tim Silard casion of the Foundation’s 50th an- to our criminal justice system as are (who brings his leadership in civil niversary, ring as true now as then: the African American men who are rights and social justice). It is distin- “Despite vast differences and obstacles, so disproportionately imprisoned guished as well by its diverse Board of we can create a working society togeth- there and denied effective reentry to Directors, which combines and bridg- er. We can have both unity and diversi- the economy after serving their time. es activists and pillars of the business ty, both excellence and opportunity. The Throughout our history, we have establishment as it always has. Ruth American experiment is not over; it is supported economic justice along Chance was always clear that a foun- just beginning. And, finally, this democ- with social justice, understanding dation is only as good as its grantees; racy is more than just a catfight among that to thrive, people must not only indeed, the Rosenberg Foundation is competing groups; it is an ideal nur- gain the unfettered exercise of their distinguished by the quality, diversi- tured by unselfish people. For its part, the rights but must also have equal ac- ty, and dedication of its grantee part- Rosenberg Foundation will go on sup- cess to economic opportunity. ners, and their willingness to work porting those unselfish people.” If an institution like the Rosen- across racial, ethnic, political, social, As much as we are characterized berg Foundation remains vital over and economic lines to create a new by optimism and commitment, one the course of decades and even cen- future for all Californians. of the inescapable lessons of our 75- turies, it must be because of the cal- As the Foundation remains com- year history is that, despite huge and iber of its staff, the diversity of its mitted to core values and callings, significant victories, we have not yet Board, and, above all, the quality of so it likely will continue to evolve. achieved our hopes for a state where its grantee partners. Rosenberg, the Even as we continue to work to open everyone has a real chance to grow first staffed foundation west of the doors to historically marginalized and contribute—nor is it likely we Mississippi, has been distinguished communities, we recognize other will achieve our dreams in the next and shaped by five remarkable lead- marginalized groups—in more re- 75 years. Yet, we will continue to do ers—Leslie Ganyard (who had to ex- cent years, the LGBT community all that we can, along with our allies, plain to potential grantees what a and also California’s prison popula- to create a California like the Amer- foundation grant was), Ruth Chance tion, which is comprised so dispro- ica Langston Hughes envisioned, (who graduated first in her class at portionately of people of color and “that never was yet still must be.” Boalt, but whom no law firm in San the poor—as the proper focus of our Francisco would hire because she attention. Our willingness to exploit Robert E. Friedman is a member of the was a woman), Kirke Wilson (who the freedoms of grantmaking will Rosenberg Foundation’s Board of Directors. brought his passion for farm work- continue to demand thoughtful in- Lewis H. Butler is one of the Foundation’s er justice from organizing in the fields novation and openness to changing alumni trustees.

Justice in California 3 context Manuel Pastor The Remaking of California bor force, creative and progressive A look at the deeper transitions - from entrepreneurs, and a strong university system that can incubate new demographic to economic - shaping the ideas and talent. Californians are future of the Golden State. also blessed with a firm commitment to protecting the planet, something that can drive innovation to a more Analysts of California politics of- those foreign-born is actually on sustainable green economy. ten operate in sound bites: Who’s the the decline. Rising instead is what On the other hand, we also are next governor? What’s the next prop- Dowell Myers of USC calls a “home- confronting an economy marked by osition? Where’s the next spending grown majority”—young people sharp inequalities. Once considered cut? Unfortunately, the insistence born in California and committed to a beacon of opportunity, attracting on the short-term theatrics of cam- staying in the state. migrants from other states and the paigns and budget battles—impor- The youth comprising this emerg- world, California is now the sixth tant as they may be—can sometimes ing majority are often distinctly dif- most unequal state in the country in obscure the deeper transitions shap- ferent than their elders. Roughly terms of the ratio of incomes of the ing the prospects for our state. If we two-thirds of the population above top fifth of families to the bottom are to enter the future with any mea- the age of 65—an age group with fifth of families. Considering the ra- sure of grace—or justice—we’ll have a very high propensity to vote—is tio of the top to the middle, we are to look not just forward but outward White. The share falls to 50 percent the third most unequal. The state to the long-term horizon. as we look at those between the ages we most closely resemble in terms Changing Demography and the of 40 and 64, a cohort in their years of both our income inequality and “Generation Gap” of peak income and hence more like- changes over time is Mississippi, ly to carry, or resist carrying, the tax hardly a comparison to which most Foremost amongst these coming burden of the state. Yet, the group Californians aspire. transitions is one of demography. whose future they are deciding to While part of this inequality re- The Census Bureau predicts that support or not—those under the age flects the fact that the benefits of the U.S. will become “majority mi- of 18—are 70 percent kids of color. economic growth have largely been nority”—that is, a nation with no This is California’s “generation captured by the richest one percent racial/ethnic majority group—some- gap”—and it is one that Sacramento of the state, California is also experi- time between 2042 and 2050. Cali- Bee columnist Peter Schrag argues encing a striking degree of wage po- fornia crossed that threshold a year is an undercurrent in the state’s re- larization by skill that affects those in before the millennium; in fact, the sistance to fiscal reform, particular- the less lofty reaches of income dis- demographic change we witnessed ly reform of Proposition 13 and its tribution. The premium for educa- between 1980 and 2000 is roughly protection of long-time homeown- tion has risen: more than ever before, what the U.S. is projected to experi- ers. That this generation gap makes more education means higher wages, ence between 2000 and 2050. a difference is evidenced by a study especially as job growth continues to California naturally will continue a colleague and I did for the Public be polarized in very high- and very to stay ahead of that curve, and will, Policy Institute of California: those low-wage sectors. Adding to the in fact, be a majority Latino state states with the greatest demograph- mix is a continuing decline in union by 2035. With the state “brown- ic divergence between the young and membership; one of the “bright ing” rapidly, the popular image is the old also have the lowest per cap- spots” for the labor movement has that the main driver is immigration. ita state capital outlays —that is, in- been consistently high public sec- But this would be using yesterday’s vestments in the future. tor unionization, but this simply pits population dynamics to guess at to- T he State of Inequality state workers against the state’s tax- morrow’s demography. While the payers, making public sector unions share of immigrants did rise dramati- Another deep transition we face seem like a special interest. cally in California in the past three involves the California economy. There is also a worrisome stratifica- decades—and now over half of the On one hand, the current econom- tion by race: Black and Latino family state’s children have at least one im- ic recession can blind us to some income is noticeably lower than that migrant parent—the percentage of long-term strengths: a younger la- of Asians and Whites. Educational

4 levels are stratified as well, and if one fit—are offering positive change to • defining a strategy for sustainable projects out the skill demands of new California. Typically, these move- economic growth (i.e., encourag- employment against that trend, the ments are associated with dramat- ing investment with streamlined recipe for a continuing division by ic protests and marches—and those public policy). race and class is set. Meanwhile, the activities are certainly part of their foreclosure crisis has hit Black and work. Still, the majority of social Activists have excelled with the Latino homeowners—or now, former movement work is basically patient first, and business has focused on the homeowners—the hardest, partly be- last, while both need to think and talk cause they were last to buy in the run- more about mobility, especially about up to the bubble bursting, leading to Once considered how to actually fund the education a destruction of wealth that rivals the system the state so desperately needs. effects of a natural disaster. a beacon of Aligning our efforts to foster eco- While these challenges can seem nomic growth with the fight to overwhelming, this disaster isn’t natu- opportunity, achieve social equity is critical. Recent ral, and our fate is in our hands. What research on income gains in Ameri- we need urgently is a new vision, new attracting migrants ca’s metropolitan regions—including leadership, and a new civic—and civ- both from other a study from the Federal Reserve— il—dialogue about our future. has shown that when inequality and A Common Vision for California states and the world, racial segregation remain, entire regional economies suffer. A new and healthier California California is now the Inequality also has played a role would be one in which older, White in our national crisis. The current Californians invest in the education sixth most unequal Great Recession was driven in part of younger Asians and Latinos. It by a situation in which the wealthy is one in which African Americans state in the country were so flooded with liquidity that are advocating for immigrant inte- in terms of the ratio they speculated on Wall Street, while gration—and in which immigrants working people were so stressed by and their allies commit to creating of incomes of the top stagnant income that they borrowed pathways out of poverty for African just to stay afloat. When this rising Americans. It is one in which busi- fifth of families to inequality was churned through a nesses work together with commu- deregulated system, replete with de- nity advocates to build a stronger the bottom fifth of rivatives and subprime mortgages, pipeline for workforce development. the results were predictable—but It is one in which there’s a common families. they were not inevitable. vision for one California. With the old system broken, Getting there will require that we and often unrecognized one-on-one we have the opportunity and re- reach across the racial, class, and organizing, done face-to-face, race- sponsibility to build anew. Fun- generational divides that are split- to-race, and place-to-place. damental to the future will be not ting apart the state and keeping us These ongoing conversations are just new policies, but also social from communicating with each oth- important because they allow us movements and the alliances and er. In order to change our situation to work together to make the dif- mutual understanding they can and redefine our trajectory, we must ficult choices that moving forward and must build. change both the public discourse requires—and we are facing some This special publication of the and how we have that discourse. difficult choices. Shaping up our Rosenberg Foundation optimistically We see this principle already at economy requires a mix of at least projects that justice will be a firm part work in the ongoing mobilization three things: of California’s future. To turn that quietly reshaping the state. Social • setting some minimum standards optimism into reality, we will need movements—for immigrant rights, for the labor market (i.e., man- to realize that “justice” requires “just for improved working conditions, dating living wages and worker us”: We are the ones who will help for environmental justice, for re- protection); the social movements celebrated here form of the criminal justice system, • creating a path for upward mobility remake the state and our future. and for the right of everyone to mar- (i.e., providing education and train- We are the ones who must work to- ry and serve their country as they see ing for tomorrow’s workforce); and gether to refashion California’s story.

Justice in California 5 critical next frontiers Mina Titi Liu & Thomas A. Saenz Immigrant Rights: Bucking the National Trend A little more than 16 years ago, California was tion. Public servants in these areas, as well as law enforcement officers, a poster child for anti-immigrant sentiment. would have been required to report Now, the state is well-positioned to lead the suspected undocumented immigrants to state and federal authori- nation on immigrant rights and integration. ties, and to send those suspected notices to legalize or leave the state. In an era of term limits and rap- voters, and a staggering three quarters The initiative’s endemic violations id turnarounds in electoral fortune, of Latino voters, opposed the initia- of privacy and invitations to discrim- 16 years may seem like an eternity tive. As immigrants reacted to Propo- inate contributed to the rejection of in politics. In reality, it is less than sition 187 in the 16 years that followed the proposal by minority voters. a generation. A little more than 16 by naturalizing, registering, and vot- Yet, Proposition 187’s assault on years ago, California claimed the du- ing in record numbers—against constitutional values catalyzed a bious mantle of leadership in anti- Wilson’s political party, which they dramatic political shift in California, immigrant public policy by enacting viewed as responsible for the initia- which, in 2011, has resulted in a state Proposition 187. In November 1994, tive—California shifted from a toss- government that is different from the initiative, misleadingly named up state to the solidly Democratic any other state government nation- “Save our State,” received 58 percent enclave that it is today. wide. While no political shift is per- of the statewide vote, and Governor In fact, now California has the manent, and there still is much to do Pete Wilson rode his staunch sup- chance to become a national leader to ensure that California enacts and port of the proposal to a previously in immigrant integration. follows progressive policies, the sig- unlikely reelection. In some ways, Proposition 187 was nificance of the shift in California In short, in 1994, California was more severe than Arizona’s Senate between 1994 and 2011 on immigra- where Arizona is today. Bill 1070, whose passage in 2010 has tion is undeniable. At a time when In the ensuing years, however, that significantly emboldened today’s an- the likelihood of national immigra- dark moment in California history ti-immigrant forces, as evidenced by tion reform has dimmed, we can find would change the course of Califor- the stunning recent attempts to wipe hope in the fact that California can nia politics for the better. In Novem- out the long-standing American Cit- lead the way on this issue. ber 2010, in significant part as a result izenship clause of the 14th Amend- Despite local and isolated attempts of the fallout from Proposition 187, ment. Proposition 187 followed the to replicate Arizona, our state seems the state bucked the national trend, enactment of a number of restric- to recognize the community disrup- rejecting a conservative movement tive immigration-related bills by the tion and economic havoc that mass injected with a large dose of anti-im- California Legislature—including removals of undocumented immi- migrant hostility in favor of candi- the requirement that drivers prove grants would wreak. With the prom- dates with more progressive views on status before receiving a license— inence of California students among immigrant integration. Meg Whit- and the serious consideration of an those who recently led the national man’s failed effort to win the office of even greater number of such propos- movement for the federal DREAM Governor also signals that Wilson’s als. The initiative itself began as the Act and with the importance of agri- backing remains a significant liabili- most extreme of a number of poten- culture to the state’s economy, Cali- ty for any candidate seeking support tial measures circulated to qualify fornia also readily perceives the need among California’s rapidly growing for the ballot. for progressive reform of our federal cadre of pro-immigrant Latino and Were Proposition 187 not perma- immigration laws. Asian American voters. nently enjoined in almost its entire- California can lead by translating Perhaps we could have foretold this ty by federal courts, the initiative these views into concrete state pub- course of events based on the racially would have required every Califor- lic policy that demonstrates an inter- divided vote on Proposition 187. Exit nian to prove status before accessing est and investment in the civic and polls showed that the majority of Af- public health care, social services, economic integration of immigrants. rican American and Asian American K–12 education, and higher educa- That begins with taking steps to pre-

6 vent local jurisdictions from seeking to enact laws going beyond federal law in restricting housing, speech, employment, or schooling on the ba- sis of immigration status. Such laws have almost uniformly been chal- lenged and struck down where they have been enacted, and California cannot afford to spend precious resources defending such unconstitu- tional measures. California also can work with the federal government and enact protections to guard against the worst excesses of the Secure Communi- ties program and other efforts by the Obama administration to increase federal enforcement. Too often, these programs do not target or ap- with limited English skills are able prehend serious criminals, but rath- to access critical government servic- In the 16 short years er sweep in peaceful victims of racial es. Unfortunately, a report issued by since Proposition 187 profiling or other faulty police prac- the California State Auditor in No- was passed, California tices. The state has a strong interest vember 2010 concluded that, decades in not contributing to such uncon- later, many agencies either do not not only has managed to stitutional activity. know of their responsibilities or do turn away from the ugly In addition, California can take not fully meet the legal requirements steps to better involve immigrants in to aid the limited-English-speaking anti-immigrant sentiment our communities. For example, cur- residents they serve. The failure to that gave rise to the rently, non-citizen parents cannot address language barriers can endan- vote in school board elections, de- ger the health and safety of all Cali- destructive measure, spite the fact that immigrant students fornians, cut immigrants off from but also now is poised to comprise a significant portion of the the opportunity to receive vital gov- become a national leader state’s student population. Califor- ernment services, and prevent them nia can pioneer new efforts to address from fully engaging with local and on immigrant integration. this mismatch. The state could imple- state government. Ensuring account- ment significant and well-monitored ability by state and local agencies to This is just a small sample of the pilots in multiple districts under Dymally-Alatorre must be a priority wide-ranging and progressive poli- which non-citizen parents could have of the state’s leadership. cies California can incubate and pio- an appointed representative on the While the state’s continuing reve- neer to integrate immigrants. In the school board, akin to the student rep- nue and budget problems may pre- 16 short years since Proposition 187, resentatives present on many boards. clude significant investment in such California not only has managed to Another idea might be to create a important integration measures as turn away from the ugly anti-immi- shared governance structure, much English language and civics classes grant sentiment that gave rise to the like what is used in the federal Head for immigrants, California could in- destructive measure, but also now is Start program, in which differences corporate other approaches to pro- poised to become a national leader on on significant matters between the moting knowledge. For example, immigrant integration. California’s board and a parents’ council are re- the state might consider a policy of immigrant communities have already solved through a mediation process. encouraging employer provision of demonstrated how critically embed- Another key element of immigrant such classes as an element of settle- ded they are into the very fiber and integration is language access. In 1973, ment in any state-pursued enforce- makeup of our state. By advocating California’s state legislature passed ment of employment law against for public policies that reflect and fa- the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Ser- employers with significant numbers cilitate this undeniable fact, imagine vices Act to ensure that Californians of non-English-speaking workers. what we can do in the next 16 years.

Justice in California 7 critical next frontiers

Image courtesy of NAACP Benjamin Todd Jealous & Lateefah Simon Smart About Safety state and breaking the spirit of com- Building an effective and equitable criminal munities across the country. Today, justice system is an urgent civil rights issue, the U.S. accounts for five percent of the world’s population but has 25 and the only way we can create safe and percent of the world’s prisoners. We healthy communities. imprison almost one million more people than China, at a cost to taxpayers of $68 billion in 2010. Reforming the nation’s criminal on poverty.” “Doubling the convic- Turning locally, California’s pris- justice system is one of the most ur- tion rate in this country would do on population grew 500 percent gent civil rights issues of our time. more to cure crime in America than from 1982 to 2000, and the state now One shocking fact illustrates why: quadrupling the funds for [Hubert] attempts to manage nearly 170,000 More African American men are en- Humphrey’s war on poverty,” Nixon people in prisons designed to hold tangled in the criminal justice system told voters. 83,000. In the last 20 years, the cost today than were enslaved in 1850. Since then, Republicans have of operating California’s corrections How did we get here? The rise in pushed—and Democrats have em- system skyrocketed from $2.3 bil- America’s penchant for punish- braced—a so-called “tough on lion in 1992–1993 to a projected $9.3 ment can be traced as far back as the crime” approach to keeping us safe, billion budget in the 2011–2012 fiscal 1964 presidential campaigns of Bar- one that emphasizes harsh measures year, with an additional $4 billion ry Goldwater and George Wallace, after crimes have already occurred, budgeted for prison infrastructure who each made law and order a de- and that disproportionately pun- expenses. Ten percent of the state’s fining plank of his platform. Presi- ishes poor and minority communi- general fund revenue now goes to dent Richard Nixon continued the ties rather than addressing the root the prison system. trend, framing Democrats as “soft causes of crime and preventing it in Nowhere is the impact felt more on crime” and pushing for tough law the first place. deeply than in African American enforcement policies in opposition As a result, our wrong-headed ap- communities, where America’s epi- to President Lyndon Johnson’s cre- proach to justice and safety is break- demic of mass incarceration seemingly do of tackling crime through a “war ing the bank of pretty much every has removed entire generations of Af-

8 rican American men from their com- equality, women’s rights and fami- in various California cities to draw munities. Today, 500,000 Black fathers lies. We also need to work together attention to a disturbing trend. are currently incarcerated in Ameri- with people we’ve traditionally con- Since 1988, state spending on pris- ca’s prisons, and one out of every six sidered to be unlikely allies in this on has risen 25 times faster than on African American men has spent time fight, such as law enforcement and higher education. Former Repub- in prison. African American girls and business. More and more, leaders in lican Governor Arnold Schwar- young women have become the fast- law enforcement are calling for new zenegger acknowledged this when est growing population of incarcerat- ways to keep our communities safe, he aptly noted: “Spending 45 per- ed young people in the country. More and California’s new Attorney Gen- cent more on prisons than on uni- than two million African Americans eral Kamala Harris is among those versities is no way to proceed into are currently either in prison, in jail, leading the charge. We also need the future.…What does it say about on probation, or on parole. more grantmakers to recognize the any state that [it] focuses more on Our criminal justice system today connection between criminal jus- prison uniforms than on caps and undoubtedly functions much like tice and other social problems they gowns?” As states across the coun- a racial caste system, as Michelle are aiming to alleviate, and invest re- try continue to struggle with bud- Alexander, author of The New Jim sources for maximum impact. get crises, we need to collectively Crow, so aptly points out. Being la- Eliminate Barriers To Employment call for shifting our funding pri- beled a felon effectively strips away orities from incarceration toward crucial rights from an individu- There is perhaps no more effec- programs and initiatives that will al, locking him or her into second- tive tool for successful reentry into revitalize our communities. class status indefinitely, unable to society than employment. Former- It is our belief that criminal justice vote, secure a good job, or find safe ly incarcerated people who are able reform is one of the leading issues and affordable housing. The cur- to secure employment are one-third in the fight to ensure equal oppor- rent system provides for little or no less likely than their counterparts to tunity for communities in need. We reintegration; it functions as a re- end up back in prison or jail. That is cannot afford to wait another gen- volving door, where those who’ve why both the NAACP and the Law- eration to turn around decades of served time in jail or prison all too yers’ Committee have launched new failed policies that have resulted often quickly find themselves back initiatives to meet this challenge. In in our nation hemorrhaging mon- in, unable to overcome the many California, the NAACP worked to ey and human potential. The exi- obstacles they face when attempting secure an administrative order from gency for policies that are smart on to reenter their communities. the governor’s office that removes crime—not just “tough on crime”— It is time to recognize that our questions about criminal history is now. It is the only way we can scorched-earth approach to public from employment applications for achieve something we all want— safety has sent us down the wrong most state jobs. The Lawyers’ Com- safe and healthy communities. path. We need to be smart about our mittee has launched a new clinic to policies and resources while keeping connect formerly incarcerated indi- our communities safe. Here are three viduals with pro bono attorneys from steps we recommend to ensure that top law firms to address legal barri- public safety is a true civil and hu- ers to reentry and employment. We man right for all of us: all win when we ensure that those Build Broad-Based Coalitions who have paid their debt to society can have the tools they need to turn It is no longer enough for criminal their lives around. justice reform to be an issue of con- Reallocate Resources cern only to criminal justice reform- ists. We need to bring to the table In 2010, the NAACP commis- advocates for civil rights, education sioned new rolling advertisements

It is time to recognize that our scorched-earth approach to public safety has sent us down the wrong path. We need to be smart about our policies and resources while keeping our communities safe.

Justice in California 9 critical next frontiers

Hugo Morales Sowing Change in the San Joaquin Valley On a recent funders’ tour of the San Joaquin by immigrants from my native Mixte- ca in southern Mexico, this commu- Valley, a region of California that faces nity of our country’s poorest engages daunting challenges, the author finds ample their own local leadership to hold an annual Guelaguetza celebration, hon- cause for hope. oring traditional Mixteco language, music, dance, and food. The cultur- Recently, I participated in “Sow- leader, usually younger than 35, work- ally driven organizers that make this ing Change,” a three-day tour for ing to build a better San Joaquin Val- possible are the new face of the farm grantmakers organized by the Wom- ley and a better California. worker workforce, numbering some en’s Foundation of California. Dur- In Delano, California—home of 300,000 strong in the San Joaquin ing the tour, I saw first hand some of the United Farm Workers’ For- Valley. Some 20 percent of this work- the daunting challenges the San Joa- ty Acres and center of the Chavis- force is Mixteco; almost all are un- quin Valley faces in the continuing ta movement for social justice for documented. fight for social justice and equality. farm workers—20 Mexican-Amer- And in Kettleman City, a town It has some of the highest concen- ican children and teenagers were of 2,000 mostly Mexican-American trations of poverty in the country, performing traditional Mexican ma- farm workers along a lonely stretch and its air is among the most pollut- riachi music. Their instructor, Juan of Interstate 5, a new generation of ed in the country—it is sometimes Morales (no relation to me), trav- local organizers raised in this com- known as Appalachia West. And, els some 30 miles from Porterville munity are challenging the expan- although educational achievement to teach these children how to cele- sion of one of the largest chemical is critical for a healthy California, brate their culture through music. waste dumps in the country because in this region, most Latino youths Lamont, California, home of the la- of the town’s high incidence of birth don’t graduate from high school. bor camp made famous by The Grapes deformations in recent years. Traveling through the countryside of Wrath, now houses a model mod- We also visited Bakersfield, home during this tour, however, I also wit- ern labor camp administered by the of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, nessed a phenomenon that gave me State of California. The same region and Tulare, where California Rural hope for the future of the San Joa- also has several de facto labor camps Legal Assistance is challenging ur- quin Valley: Each stop of the funders’ that more closely resemble the origi- ban planning that will negatively im- tour revealed a Latino/a community nal Depression-era ones. Populated pact the quality of drinking water in

10 a cluster of homes inhabited by low- that ends up in restaurants and on From philanthropy, to income, Mexican-American fami- plates throughout California. We lies. Each stop was inspiring to me must support the efforts of these nonprofits, to the public for several reasons: young leaders working to bring • I witnessed a high degree of col- about change in our communities. and private sectors, laboration among nonprofits. We must invest in our youth by re- • The leaders are young and sourcing educational opportuni- we all have a role to knowledgeable, and also ties for all the children in the San excellent organizers. Joaquin Valley. We must foster de- play in ensuring that • The organizers are effective despite mocracy by ensuring that we have their small operating budgets. well-educated, informed voters. the seeds of change can Seeing these new leaders in ac- This is the new California. The op- grow and flourish in tion has shown me that San Joaquin portunity is there. It is up to us to Valley is ripe in opportunity. There take advantage of it. San Joaquin Valley. is opportunity to address access to preschool through higher education, to support local citizens who are demanding local government institutions be responsive to their community needs, and to stand behind young leaders of color who are already doing the work. There is the opportunity afforded to us by the dramatic shift in population growth from the coastal region to the San Joaquin Valley. Accord- ing to 2009 data from the U.S. Cen- sus Bureau, from 2000 to 2009 San Francisco’s population grew by five percent and Alameda County by three percent. In contrast, the San Joaquin Valley grew by 21 percent. There is also an opportunity to organize the region’s largest ethnic group, Latinos, who are the new majority. It is a young population, mostly under the age of 23. More people listen to Latino public radio in Spanish or bilingual programming than the English-only NPR radio programming. From philanthropy, to nonprofits, to the public and private sectors, we all have a role to play in ensuring that the seeds of change can grow and flourish in San Joa- quin Valley. We must not forget the interconnection between this region and the rest of the state, from air quality to the water that empties into the San Francisco Bay to the food produced in the valley Images courtesy of the Women’s Foundation of California

Justice in California 11 critical next frontiers Dolores Huerta Securing Justice for Farm Workers The famed labor activist chronicles potable drinking water, rest periods, safety protections, pesticide regula- the historical struggles —as well as the tions, contracts, and credit unions. significant present-day challenges—in We passed legislation to remove citizenship requirements for public as- the fight to secure justice for California’s sistance, such as aid to the disabled and to needy children, and old age most marginalized workers. assistance. In l975, after UFW secured unemployment insurance for The San Joaquin Valley is the ro program, which brought millions farm workers, families were able to breadbasket of the United States of Mexican nationals north to work settle in communities, keep their and the world. A prosperous area, in the fields in the U.S.—initially as children in school, and vote. the wealthy agriculture industry a way to solve labor shortages during Many other support systems for that calls this area home is impor- World War II, and subsequently as a farm workers were established with tant to California’s economy and cheap labor supply. foundation and government fund- provides the food that nourishes so Brutal opposition from the indus- ing: training programs for farm work- much of the country. Yet, the farm try stamped out all attempts of these ers to upgrade their skills for better workers who labor to create this immigrant workers to unionize. In or- farm jobs, farm worker clinics, bilin- wealth and abundance have long der to improve conditions for farm gual education programs, targeted lived in abject poverty. workers and their families, Cesar programs for farm worker women, John Steinbeck chronicled the im- Chavez and I founded the National housing, child care programs, and migrant story of California and our Farm Workers Association, later the more. The UFW movement influ- government’s mass recruitment of United Farm Workers Union, in 1962. enced the organizing strategies of immigrants needed to develop the The organization would become the other labor unions and gave birth to land. Immigrants were continuous- first successful union to win collec- the Chicano movement, leaving an ly recruited from Mexico, Japan, tive bargaining agreements for farm indelible mark on this country’s so- China, and the Philippines. And, workers. In my early lobbying days, cial justice and labor movements. although the immigrant population the grower representatives would say In February of this year, the office of was and remains critical to agricul- before legislative committees, “We the United Farm Workers in Delano, ture, agribusiness continues to fight do the public a service by employing California, was declared a national the unionization of farm workers. these winos and degenerates that no- landmark. This is the site where Ce- In the past, many of California’s body else will hire.” We do not hear sar Chavez fasted for 25 days in 1968 policies discriminated against farm those references any more, at least for nonviolence, and for 36 days in workers. The Oriental Exclusion Act not in California. 1988 to bring attention to the dangers deprived Asians from owning land Over time, United Farm Workers of pesticides to farm workers and con- and made it illegal to marry Whites. was able to help win many legislative sumers. In 1970, after a five-year strike Large numbers of Filipinos were un- victories. The Bracero program end- and an international grape boycott able to afford the long voyage to the ed in 1964. The Agricultural Labor supported by millions of consumers, Philippines to secure wives. The le- Relations Act allowing farm work- the grape industry came to the bar- gal immigration quota was one wom- ers to unionize and have protections gaining table and signed the historic an to 50 Filipino men, leaving most from unfair labor practices passed in grape contracts with the UFW at the men without families. The Chinese l975. The Migrant and Seasonal Farm Delano headquarters. drained many of the islands around Worker Protection Act passed in 1983. The UFW union contracts provide Stockton, California, yet that same The Immigration Reform Act of 1986 a health plan, pension plan, griev- Act prevented them from owning legalized 1.4 million farm workers. ance and arbitration procedure, and the land they made usable. The Japa- By organizing farm workers, we seniority. These union contracts nese lost their agricultural land dur- were able to bring a measure of social were won with great sacrifices. Many ing World War II, when they were and economic justice to them. Many farm workers were beaten, hundreds placed into internment camps. 1941 of these victories won were basic hu- jailed, and four farm workers—Ru- saw the start of the infamous Brace- man and labor rights—clean toilets, fino Contreras, Nagi Daifallah, Juan

12 De La Cruz, and Rene Lopez—and one supporter, 18-year-old Nan Friedman, were killed. It was, and still is, an uphill battle. While the conditions for farm workers in California have improved since then, the harsh reality remains that farm workers who do not have union protections are still among the poorest workers in the country, and working conditions remain extreme- ly hazardous. A recent study the Do- lores Huerta Foundation did with California State University, Bakers- field, indicated that the average wage of farm workers was $15,000 a year in Southern Kern County. This rampant poverty is exacerbat- ed by the fact that undocumented farm workers are denied any unemployment insurance and public assistance. Many farm workers work at “piece” rates that have stagnated, leaving workers dependent on the minimum wage for protection. At the same time, the laws that cover immigrants and undocumented work- In my early lobbying days, the grower representatives would ers, such as federal minimum wage, say before legislative committees, “We do the public a service health, and safety laws, are not en- by employing these winos and degenerates that nobody else forced. Employers prefer hiring undocumented workers over residents will hire.” We do not hear those references any more, at least or citizens, using labor contractors not in California. to avoid paying unemployment insurance and social security, thereby funders are focusing on rural areas workers. Others, such as Paramount avoiding the laws that can benefit of California to create healthy com- farms, are helping their workers im- farm workers. Meanwhile, the cam- munities where farm workers live. prove their communities. paign against the undocumented Religious organizations are sup- However, we must not forget that has resulted in working people end- portive of farm workers, and many having their own democratic organi- ing up in jails for immigration vio- give direct services. My own organization—a union—is still the best way lations. Hard-working farm workers zation, the Dolores Huerta Founda- that farm workers can have a voice in have been deported in anti-immi- tion, is doing grass roots organizing the workplace, allowing them to ne- grant crackdowns, dividing families and leadership development so farm gotiate their wages and working con- and resulting in children being sep- workers can have representation in ditions and to develop relationships arated from their families and de- their communities and learn how with their employers. Only when prived of their rights as U.S. citizens. to solve the issues through direct farm workers are working under Amidst these setbacks, there are non-violent action. Growers in Cal- union contracts can health, safety, rays of hope, such as the recent ap- ifornia no longer denigrate their and labor laws be enforced by union pointment of Hilda Solis as U.S. workers. Many have Farm Worker stewards at the work site. With pub- Secretary of Labor and the election Day celebrations, and raise scholar- lic support, farm workers can contin- of Governor Jerry Brown in Cali- ships for the children of their work- ue to organize, learn advocacy, and, fornia. Support for this region and ers. Some agricultural employers, eventually, secure full justice and its farm workers has increased, and such as Swanson Berry Farms, are equality for themselves, their fami- many nonprofit organizations and supporting the unionization of their lies, and their communities.

Justice in California 13 critical next frontiers Madeline Janis An Economy that Works for All of Us How can we build a state in which that we have the power and enthu- siasm necessary to dig ourselves out economic injustice and poverty are and move into a brighter future. We must harness that energy and com- replaced by shared prosperity? bine it with practical, proven strategies if we are to achieve our vision. In March 2011, right before the and assert that we are ready. Even in this economy, it is possible state’s Republican party rammed There is no doubt that, today, our to implement real and practical solu- through a law intended to break economy is not working for many tions that can benefit all of us. the backs of labor unions, I spent 24 of us. It certainly is not working for One of the most powerful ways we hours in Madison, Wisconsin. I went Los Angeles County’s 3.7 million can do that is by insisting on creat- with a contingent of 160 leaders from low-income taxpayers and residents. ing and sustaining good jobs, jobs Los Angeles—nurses, teachers, jani- In South L.A. and East L.A., unem- that pay enough to meet families’ real tors, and hotel workers, people from ployment rates are above 30 percent. needs and lift them out of poverty. every walk of life—and we came to A third of the people who work in Without a focus on job quality, we Madison to connect with regular, ev- L.A. don’t earn enough to meet their can look forward to annual increas- eryday people who were in the middle families’ basic needs. L.A. County es in poverty well into the future. In of an epic fight for economic equality. is emblematic of a statewide and na- Los Angeles, for example, we pushed All around Madison, we saw clear tional problem. Today, in addition to for a living wage policy that covers signs of the progressive fervor that a severe budget crisis, California fac- hotels near the Los Angeles Interna- has swept through this town to es an extreme human crisis marked tional Airport. The ordinance has reach the entire country. Almost ev- by high unemployment, an epidem- improved pay in existing jobs and ery business—restaurants, dry clean- ic of foreclosures, and some of the helped more than 5,000 workers and ers—carried similar messages: “I’m highest rates of poverty in decades. family members earn their way out pro-union,” “I support teachers,” Census data released in 2010 show of poverty. Studies have put the net “I believe in public sector workers.” that families in America are facing benefit to the community from in- We visited the pizza place where the highest rates of economic hard- creased wages and spending at more hundreds of thousands of dollars has ship in a generation. than $23 million in the first four years. poured in from around the world to There are many factors that got us This “trickle up” approach is in direct help feed the protestors. During the into this crisis, but one clear stand- contrast to the right wing’s narrow fo- day, we marched across the city and out is reckless Wall Street schemes cus on profit at the top, which contin- into the capitol building, where a impacting a middle class already be- ues to concentrate wealth and take us thousand people were rallying inside ing tightly squeezed by 30 years of in the wrong direction. the rotunda, singing and chanting. failed right-wing economic policy. We also must enact policies that They had been doing this for days. Since the 1980s, the dominant eco- require businesses who seek govern- In Madison, it was clear that people nomic policy has been a combina- ment funds and permit approvals felt like they had been pushed over tion of tax cuts aimed at the rich to balance private profit and pub- the edge by the reality of econom- and deregulation designed to maxi- lic good. The two principles are not ic inequality—pushed into being mize profits for the top one percent. incompatible, as we’ve demonstrat- strong, brave and forceful enough Coupled with an any-job-is-good- ed many times in Los Angeles and to occupy the statehouse. Visiting enough approach to employment elsewhere. Too often, public offi- Madison was a powerful lesson in the and a labor policy that has stripped cials subsidize developments with no kind of energy that California and away the foundation supporting real benefits to local communities. In this country desperately needs to middle class jobs, the result is an ex- fact, with billions of dollars in feder- embody if we are ever to realize our plosion of the working poor. As a real stimulus money being distributed vision of a healthy economy—one sult, the poverty rate for working age through local and state governments, that works for all of us. Good jobs, people between 18 and 64 rose to 12.9 there is increasing pressure on local thriving communities, and a healthy percent last year, its highest in more officials—elected and appointed—to environment can all be achieved in than four decades. move quickly to approve job-creat- this country if we raise our hands Despite these grim obstacles, I know ing projects without any clear stan-

14 Visiting Madison was a powerful lesson in the kind of energy that California and this country desperately need to embody if we are ever to realize our vision of a healthy economy—one that works for all of us. Images courtesy of LAANE dards, such as decent pay. with a dramatic rise in inequality. impoverished communities, and for Instead of rushing to rubber-stamp Union jobs almost always offer bet- the general public. these projects, local public officials, ter pay, better benefits, and better Of course, these strategies are only community, union, immigrant, and conditions than non-union jobs, and possible if our elected officials are environmental leaders must insist unions are good for the overall econ- behind them. From local officials to that businesses receiving taxpayer omy. For example, a recent study by state legislators, congressmen, and money create good jobs, affordable the Los Angeles Economic Round- the President of the United States, it housing, and a healthy environment. table found that union workers in is time for public officials around the And we must do so while withstand- L.A. County earn 27 percent more country to stand up for the rest of ing any criticism that holding busi- than non-union workers in the same us. Instead of just giving tax breaks nesses accountable in this way is jobs. The increased wages for the ap- and subsidies to big business, dereg- “killing jobs” or hurting the local proximately 800,000 union workers ulating industry, lifting “barriers” or business climate. adds $7.2 billion a year in pay. These “strings,” or advocating for tax cuts Critics of such policies sometimes workers spend their wages on food, for the “haves,” we need our leaders say that these community-bene- clothing, child care, car and home re- to generate and implement strategic fit standards are nothing more than pairs, and other items. As a result, ideas that can help the middle class thinly veiled attempts to strengthen their buying power created 307,200 and the “have-nots.” local unions. The answer is, so what? jobs—64,800 more jobs than would A healthy economy is possible if We can ensure good jobs by rally- have been created if these workers we raise our voices and fight for the ing behind and supporting unions, did not earn union wages. working poor, the unemployed, and which is crucial at a time when oth- So if we really believe in econom- the middle class, if we are willing to ers are increasingly agitating to ic opportunity, creating more union make the hard choices to hold busi- weaken them. It is no coincidence jobs is a no-brainer. I’m not alone in nesses and our leaders accountable. that the U.S. enjoyed its greatest lev- this belief. There is a growing federa- It will take our collective energy, pas- el of economic equality during the tion of groups in 18 cities around the sion, and wholehearted commitment, 1950s, when union membership was country—the Partnership for Work- but we can achieve our vision of build- at its highest, and that the sharp de- ing Families—that works closely ing a great state and country in which cline in union membership over the with public officials in major metro- economic injustice and poverty are re- past several decades has coincided politan regions to advocate both for placed by shared prosperity.

Justice in California 15 Building New Coalitions Eva Paterson Building a Real Progressive Movement for Change A how-to guide to developing the not give our LGBT brothers and sis- ters the same rights and freedoms coalitions that are essential in the fight to marry afforded to the rest of us. We cannot secure full civic and eco- for justice in California. nomic integration for immigrants. At Equal Justice Society, the prac- A progressive movement in Cal- birthright citizenship clause of the tice of coalition building was embed- ifornia and across this country is 14th Amendment, and are conduct- ded into our organizational DNA more aspiration than reality when ing shameful hearings intended to from day one, and remains one of our its members work towards many of demonize American Muslims under core principles. We learned this cru- the same goals, but apart from one the guise of homeland security. cial lesson from Dr. Martin Luther another. If we are not arm-in-arm We have the numbers, capacity, King, Jr., who, through the urgings while marching towards our dreams, and passion throughout the state of his aide, Bayard Rustin, sought to we may be moving, but we are not to build the coalitions that will sus- create the “Grand Coalition,” an al- a movement. We all suffer when we tain us as we continue the fight for liance of groups and individuals who turn our backs and say, “that’s not justice in California for the next 25 hungered for justice and equality. my issue.” years. Yet, without joining hands This meant bringing together wom- Today, too many progressive with each other, we cannot achieve en, people of color, union members, groups still remain disconnected ambitious goals such as reclaim- peace activists, and environmental- from one another. We need more ing the full protections of the 14th ists—all those who saw the possibility LGBT organizations to support Amendment against institutional of a better world with equal opportu- equal opportunity for people of col- discrimination. We cannot ensure nity for all people. Here are five im- or. More groups working with peo- that there will be more Black males portant lessons we have learned in ple of color need to realize that net in colleges than in prisons. We can- our efforts to develop coalitions: neutrality—the movement asserting that all internet traffic must be treat- ed equally—is a civil rights issue, granting equal opportunity to all of our voices, and allowing communities of color to enjoy the equal representation they lack in other media platforms. Support from proponents of campaign finance reform can help achieve marriage equality through the ballot and in the courts. In my view, coalitions are not op- tional—they are essential. Despite the gains in California and across the country for the communities and families we represent, we still have a lot of work left to do. People of col- or still are disproportionately repre- sented in the criminal justice system and on death row. Many victims of discrimination and injustice still cannot find redress in our courts. As I write this, some misguided legislators are waging a war to roll back the

16 Find Intersections and we not only embrace the values of when Japanese Americans “looked Common Goals in Seemingly Disparate Issues our immigrants’ rights allies, we also like the enemy” and could count push back on the efforts of those on few supporters, Rustin came to When Proposition 8 in California who seek to use language to frame their aid—setting a powerful ex- threatened to erode the rights of the values in a degrading manner. ample for us to follow, especially in LGBT community, many of us rec- Set Aside Differences in Strategy today’s increasingly virtual world. ognized that we could not allow oth- to Achieve Common Goals Today, it is easier for us to avoid ers to pigeonhole Proposition 8 as a physically showing up. We sign on- “gay” issue. By rolling back the fun- In 2003, California’s Proposition 54 line petitions, have Twitter protests damental rights of one group, Prop- threatened to amend the state Con- and email our elected officials—all osition 8 cast a threat that loomed stitution in a manner that would of which are helpful strategies. We over the civil rights of all Califor- have prohibited state and local gov- must not forget, however, that we nians. Cross-coalition opposition to ernments from using race, ethnicity, can best forge our alliances by being Proposition 8 took the form of pub- color, or national origin to classi- there for others in person—by prac- lic appearances with LGBT com- fy students, contractors, or employ- ticing “physical solidarity.” In victo- munity leaders, media interviews, ees in public education, contracting, ry and in the toughest of times, we forums and outreach to communi- or employment practices. A state- should be there when our allies call ties of color—all of which contribut- wide coalition organized to defeat for our presence. ed to illuminating the racial diversity the measure. Pollsters advised us Do Unto Others of the LGBT movement and show- that success would require employing the impact of the proposition ing messages that focused on Propo- Our last suggestion is the sim- outside of the LGBT community. sition 54’s negative impact on health plest in concept and, yet, often the Immigration reform, marriage equal- care, rather than framing it as an as- most difficult to practice: “Play nice.” ity, and the advancement of equal sault against people of color. While The stakes are so high and the pres- opportunity may appear to many as voters of color immediately under- sure so fierce on many of our issues issues that have minimal overlap. In stood the negative impact Propo- that the worst of our natures can get reality, success in each of these areas sition 54 would have on efforts to the best of us. We become bitter at advances fairness, access, and equal- remedy racial discrimination, poll- an ally over a tactical disagreement; ity for all of us. ing indicated that White voters were we keep our objections to ourselves Learn and Embrace the Cultures by and large not moved by an ap- and seethe; we cry foul when we and Terminologies of Your Allies peal to racial justice. Although we think another organization is step- initially pushed back against the ping on our institutional toes. At the When we find ourselves at a table race-neutral focus, the coalition ul- end of the day, movement building is with diverse groups, it is important timately accepted the polling data all about personal connections. We to understand and embrace the cul- and its health-oriented approach. must learn to be generous, give cred- tures and languages of our allies. It The tactic proved successful. Prop- it to others even when it doesn’t ben- demonstrates respect for others and osition 54 ultimately was defeated. efit our own organization, and find their ideas, and contributes to our If we, as racial justice advocates, had ways to have open discussions about collective solidarity. In terms of lan- not agreed to rely on research-driv- differences and grievances. guage, one of the toughest battles to- en messaging, Proposition 54 might Coalition-building is more art day is over the widespread use of the have passed. than science. It requires flexibility, term “illegal immigrant,” made pop- Practice “Physical Solidarity” patience, and perseverance. This ular by conservatives in an attempt way of doing business won’t come to dehumanize undocumented im- In the 1940s, Bayard Rustin trav- easily. It will require some or more migrants. Despite the fact that a per- eled to California to help protect of us taking a step back so that oth- son cannot be “illegal,” the term has the property of Japanese Americans ers may step forward. It will also re- been widely adopted in news cov- who were interned in concentration quire a collective commitment to erage by the mainstream media and camps. At that time, the U.S. had staying in the fight over the long in the lexicon of our courts. By con- forced Japanese American citizens to haul. Yet, we cannot afford to be tinuing to protest the incorrect use leave their property unattended or poor students at it. Our communi- of “illegal” to describe immigrants, under the watch of others. In a time ties are counting on us.

Justice in California 17 Building New Coalitions

Maria Echaveste Bridging Racial and Ethnic Divides

Building coalitions across racial and ethnic politics to narrow issue-focused ef- dividing lines will help us create the American forts, into a cohesive, interconnect- ed community with a shared agenda? community in the 21st Century. First, we need to acknowledge the current reality and stop clinging to Safe streets, good jobs, good changes have not caused the decline. the identity politics that were so nec- schools, good health care, good Rather, the decline reflects how hard essary in the 1960s and ’70s: Black homes, and a dignified retirement— it is for human beings of different power, the Chicano movement, whatever our background, commu- backgrounds to see their common women’s movement, gay movement, nity, or racial and ethnic origins, we humanity. To quote my husband, “it et cetera. Then, these movements all have similar aspirations for our- is not rocket science; it is harder than were a way of affirming racial, gender, selves, our families, and our commu- rocket science.” ethnic, and sexual orientation dif- nities. The question is: If we all want Looking toward the future of the ferences that for so long had drawn the same things, how can it be that movement for social and economic disparaging and negative views from fewer and fewer of us can actually justice, to be successful we will need those in the majority. Now, too often, achieve them? Perhaps it is because to honestly and frankly confront the they serve as barriers to finding com- we are fruitlessly trying to get there issue of race, and the myriad of ways mon cause on broader and intersect- alone, instead of building commu- that racial and ethnic differences are ing agendas. The leadership of many nity across racial and ethnic divides. used to prevent us from seeing our organizations focused on social and Here in California, where no one common goals and shared values. economic justice often is from that racial or ethnic group is in the ma- This is not just about opening the older generation that finds comfort jority, the state has been in steady eyes of the European-American main strong identity politics, but the decline across all indicia of a healthy jority in our country. We all have to time has come to leave that comfort society while undergoing significant narrow the racial and ethnic divides zone. Increasingly, the younger, un- demographic change. While some that stand in the way of our suc- der-30 generation is less caught up extreme and conservative voices cess—but how? How can we reshape in the racial and ethnic categories of have argued that the decline is di- the movement from a loose and ill- the past. We need to learn how to be rectly related to those demograph- defined collection of interests, which proud of our heritage while also un- ic changes, I would argue that the run the gamut from identity group derstanding that we are part of this

18 mosaic, melting pot, salad—whatev- vide us. In those moments, we need in meaningful ways. For example, er metaphor we choose to use—and to pause and ask who is benefitting if a foundation wants to take on that means we have a responsibility to from the tension and fear. We have the farm bill, it should ensure that each other regardless of our origins. to experience that moment of rev- communities of color are engaged Second, we need to understand elation that all of us have a story of meaningfully in that strategy. that the issue-focused politics that pain, of struggle, and that all of our Also, funders can prioritize strate- began to emerge in the 1980s and stories are valid. Then, we have to go gy work that is both ambitious and thereafter (right to life, guns, envi- beyond being victims, to that place pragmatic, paying more attention ronment, and school prayer, among of action and of taking responsibility to the results we want and less on others), have become so infused with for going forward. the latest theory of change. passion and emotion that they have Finally, we need to build coali- The road forward won’t be with- morphed into some version of iden- tions with goals that are both ambi- out its challenges, especially now, tity, too. Is it not surprising that, in tious and pragmatic. The search for when one in eight people living the wake of the identity movements perfect or pure solutions has led us in the U.S. was born in a different of the ’60s and ’70s, the environmen- too often to inaction or defeat. Com- country, and many of them do not tal movement became a haven for promise should not be a dirty word. know our American history in all White males who felt—rightly or If we are truly inclusive and respect- of its complexities and pain. Add to wrongly—that they did not belong ful of all voices, then a compromise the mix the fact that, for too long, in other movements? The time has will reflect a shared understanding our textbooks ignored the contribu- come for all of us to understand that, of what is possible, and where the tions of so many to this history, and for example, Latinos need to be envi- next struggle must occur. In that re- that even now some are trying to re- ronmentalists, too, just as men need gard, we have to set priorities. Too write this history. We have to insist to be concerned about the exploi- often, by being about everything, the on educating both ourselves and tation of women, regardless of race “movement” ends up accomplishing our newcomers that America is an or ethnicity. Perhaps the Tea Party little or nothing. When we recog- unfinished story that has not always movement is reflective of a search for nize our shared values, we can find lived up to its ideals, but is commit- identity among certain groups who the common ground that seems to ted to that road. No matter the ob- feel threatened by the demograph- have evaporated in Sacramento and stacles, building coalitions across ic change. All people want a sense in Washington, D.C. We will under- racial and ethnic dividing lines will of pride in who they are and what stand that inequality hurts us all. help us rebuild the American com- they do; the challenge lies in achiev- Philanthropy can help by funding munity for the 21st century, where ing that goal without giving in to the coalition work that honestly tries we can finally find the common temptation to see ourselves as supe- to grapple with the racial divides ground that long has eluded us. rior to others. Third, we must ignore the urge to skip over hard conversations of racial and ethnic differences. Like per- Looking toward the future of the sonal demons that ultimately fester and cause self-destruction if not movement for social and economic confronted, our long history of exclusion, of slavery, of discrimination, justice, to be successful, we will need of treating those who are different as “the other” must be acknowledged and worked through. We have to to honestly and frankly confront the understand that our capitalist and economic system has often used the issue of race, and the myriad of ways differences among us to promote wealth for a few at the expense of that racial and ethnic differences are the many. I am not advocating a different economic system; I am argu- ing that we have to take blinders off used to prevent us from seeing our and recognize when and where race and ethnicity is being used to di- common goals and shared values.

Justice in California 19 Building New Coalitions Kate Kendell & Stewart Kwoh One, Larger Vision for Justice Proposition 8 highlighted the urgent that EJS and Eva were very visible in the effort to defeat Proposition 8. need to find common ground and build Eva and EJS understood that Propo- sition 8 would set a dangerous prec- lasting alliances. edent by allowing a simple majority vote to strip away the fundamental We live in a California that is more communities, either through high- rights of a protected minority. diverse than at any time in history. lighting parallels or showing broad- Second, rather than simply pre- Due to California’s size, history of er impact, about how our different suming broad support for whatever immigration, and reputation for tol- struggles for equality fall under one, cause we are championing, we must erance, innovation, and opportunity, larger vision for justice. connect seemingly disparate strug- our state is diverse by every measure. It can no longer be sufficient for gles of different communities to For many of us, this diversity is pre- political or thought leaders to fight build lasting alliances. cisely why we love living here, and a only for whatever slice of the pop- For example, while some progres- key reason for the dynamic nature ulation or whatever constituencies sives see marriage equality as an of the social and political landscape. they call their own. Rather, what extension of the civil rights move- Yet, such richness also creates huge California requires now is a commitment, it became clear after the pas- challenges, as various groups jockey ment to long-term cultural change sage of Proposition 8 that we cannot for policy changes, legislative or po- and pragmatic solutions champi- assume communities of color will litical gains, and visibility or traction oned by “border bridgers.” support marriage equality simply in the struggle for public attention. Who, exactly, are “border bridg- based on civil rights solidarity. The Particularly when faced with scant ers”? The book Uncommon Common work to bring together complex in- resources, such as in times of bud- Ground: Race and America’s Future tersections, such as the intersection get crisis, fighting to assure that one refers to Craig McGarvey, a former of LGBT justice and racial justice, or another group’s interests are pro- program officer at the James Irvine is essential, and public education tected can overshadow or diminish Foundation, who identified “border in communities of color is critical. interest in finding common ground. bridgers” as those who must speak Many believed that the lack of sup- Perhaps no other recent event il- to and for their constituents while port for the defeat of Proposition 8 lustrates the danger in failing to find earning the respect of the constitu- in African American communities that common ground than the one ents of others. “Border bridgers are reflected a failure to include commu- that took place on November 4, 2008. leaders who move with integrity out- nities of color in the “No on Proposi- This historic date, while ushering in side their own circles, always seek- tion 8” campaign, especially African the election of the nation’s first Af- ing a circle that is broader. They find American gays and lesbians. rican American president, also saw common ground by setting differ- In contrast, the work conducted by the narrow passage of Proposition ence aside and focusing on interests Asian and Pacific Islander (API) ac- 8, the amendment to the Califor- that can be shared.” tivists to organize communities in nia constitution that eliminated the Long-time civil rights advocate Eva support of LGBT rights can serve right of same-sex couples to marry. Paterson, executive director of the as an example. After thousands of The passage of Proposition 8 high- Equal Justice Society (EJS), exempli- Chinese immigrants protested gay lights the need to build a united, fies this new type of leadership. She marriage in 2004, API community ac- broad-based movement for equali- describes her work as “silo-busting,” tivists founded API Equality-LA, a ty. To do so, two things are required: a variation on the theme of border coalition to promote marriage equal- one, the emergence of “border bridgers. Although EJS is primarily ity in the API community. Unique to bridgers,” leaders who can look be- focused on racial justice and disman- API Equality-LA’s strategy was the yond the immediate needs of their tling legal doctrines that perpetuate inclusion of not just LGBT activists own constituents to find common racial bias, the approach EJS takes is and leaders, but many straight allies. ground with others; and two, the to find and create alliances among all API Equality-LA built a strong net- intentional investment of time and sorts of groups who are marginalized work of community groups and in- resources to educate our diverse under the law. It is no surprise, then, dividuals in support of marriage

20 Photo courtesy of API Equality-LA equality in Los Angeles, using one- on-one conversations, outreach at Two things are required: one, the community festivals and through ethnic media, coalition-building, emergence of “border bridgers,” leaders and even filing an API-specific -am icus brief before the state Supreme who can look beyond the needs of their Court. API Equality-LA also successfully drew parallels between the past own constituents to find common ground struggles of Asian immigrants against with others; and two, the intentional anti-miscegenation laws with the current movement for marriage equality. investment of time and resources to A November 2008 exit poll found that API voters in Southern Califor- educate our diverse communities, either nia favored the defeat of Proposition 8 by 54 percent to 46 percent, a dra- through highlighting parallels or showing matic shift from the 68 percent to 32 percent split among APIs in 2000 on broader impact, about how our different Proposition 22, an earlier ballot measure against gay marriage. struggles for equality fall under one, larger While the battle is not won in vision for justice. the API community—recent exit polls still show significant pock- ets of opposition to gay marriage der one umbrella. The fight against challenging inequality itself, it will amongst some APIs—the changes Proposition 8 squarely brought into no longer be sufficient for us to con- in Los Angeles’ API community the limelight the fact that, in order duct business as usual. We need to inspire hope for our future. It also to end the structural inequality work together, not only to achieve illustrates the type of change that that exists in California, which has victories and advances in equality, is possible when we work to unite those with the least fighting with but also to prevent further attempts different struggles for equality un- each other over scraps instead of to diminish our freedoms.

Justice in California 21 About our Contributors

A Senior Fellow at American Progress, Maria Echaveste (page 18) is also co-founder of the Nueva Vista Group, a policy and legislative strategy and advocacy group working with non-profit and corporate clients. She previously served as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for President Bill Clinton from May 1998 through January 2001.

Renowned community organizer and activist Dolores Huerta (page 12) is president of the Do- lores Huerta Foundation and co-founder and first vice president emeritus of the United Farm Workers of America. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award from President Clinton in 1998.

The co-founder and executive director of LAANE, Madeline Janis (page 14) led the historic campaign to pass L.A.’s living wage ordinance, which has since become a national model. In 2002, Ms. Janis was appointed by the mayor as a volunteer commissioner to the Board of the city’s Com- munity Redevelopment Agency, the country’s largest such agency, and then reappointed to that position in 2006.

Benjamin Todd Jealous (page 8) is the 17th president and chief executive officer of the NAACP, the youngest person to hold the position in the organization’s nearly 100-year history. He also has served as president of the Rosenberg Foundation, director of the U.S. Human Rights Program at Amnesty International, and executive director of the National Newspaper Publishers Associa- tion (NNPA), a federation of more than 200 Black community newspapers.

Kate Kendell (page 20) leads the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which works to change discriminatory laws and to create new laws and policies benefiting the LGBT community. Ms. Kendell received her J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law. She later became the first staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah. In 1994 she joined NCLR as legal director, and was named executive director two years later.

The first Asian American attorney and human rights activist to be named a MacArthur Foun- dation Fellow, Stewart Kwoh (page 20) is the president and executive director of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California (APALC). He has been hailed as one of the nation’s premier advocates for Asian Americans and as a bridge builder bringing people together from diverse racial backgrounds.

22 Mina Titi Liu (page 6) is the executive director of the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco, the nation’s oldest organization advocating for the civil and legal rights of Asians and Pacific Islanders. Ms. Liu has had a long career advancing social justice issues both domestically and internation- ally. She has served as the Law and Rights program officer for the Ford Foundation, and as a con- sultant to the U.S. State Department and USAID. Prior to joining the Caucus, she was the Garvey Schubert Barer Visiting Professor in Asian Law at University of Washington School of Law.

A Mixtec Indian from Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, Hugo Morales (page 10) is the executive director of Radio Bilingüe, Inc., which he helped found in 1976. In 1994, he became the first resident of the San Joaquin Valley to be a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. He is the immediate past chair of the Rosenberg Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Dr. Manuel Pastor (page 4) is professor of Geography and American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. He currently directs the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity at USC and is co-director, with Dowell Myers, of USC’s Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration. He has authored and co-authored various books, including Searching for the Uncommon Common Ground: New Dimensions on Race in America.

The president of Equal Justice Society, Eva Jefferson Paterson (page 16) has campaigned for civil rights and racial justice for more than three decades. She served as the executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area before founding EJS. Ms. Paterson also co-founded and chaired the California Coalition for Civil Rights for 18 years.

Thomas A. Saenz (page 6) is the president and general counsel of MALDEF, where he leads the civil rights organization’s five offices in pursuing litigation, policy advocacy, and community education to promote the civil rights of Latinos living in the United States. Mr. Saenz re-joined MALDEF in August 2009, after spending four years on Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigo- sa’s executive team as counsel to the mayor. He previously spent 12 years at MALDEF practicing civil rights law as a staff attorney, regional counsel, and vice president of litigation.

MacArthur Foundation Fellow Lateefah Simon (page 8) is part of a new wave of African Amer- ican civil rights and community leaders. Currently executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, Ms. Simon has advocated tirelessly on behalf of communities of color, youth and women since her teenage years. At age 19, she became executive director of the Center for Young Women’s Development, a role she held for 11 years.

Justice in California 23 rosenberg foundation timeline

The Rosenberg Foundation is an independent grantmaking foundation committed to ensuring that every person in California has fair and equitable opportunities to participate fully in the state’s economic, social, and political life. Since its founding in 1935, the Foundation has provided close to 2,800 grants totaling nearly $80 million to regional, statewide, and national organizations advocating for social and economic justice throughout California. Some of the Foundation’s key accomplishments follow:

1948 In a grant partnership with 1975 Joined three other founda- 2001 Provided its first grant in the Columbia Foundation, estab- tions in providing start-up support support of Wal-Mart Stores v. Dukes, lished the San Francisco Founda- to Legal Services for Children, the the largest civil rights class action tion. The San Francisco Foundation first nonprofit law firm for youth in lawsuit in U.S. history, pending has since become one of the nation’s the country. before the Supreme Court. The case largest community foundations. charges Wal-Mart with discriminat- 1986 Assisted undocumented ing against women in promotions, 1953 Launched one of the first immigrants eligible to achieve legal pay, and job assignments. funding programs supporting farm status under new legislation by workers by providing a grant to the providing grants to community- 2003 Received the prestigious Fresno County Superintendent based organizations for planning Paul Ylvisaker Award for Public of Schools to research the tools and direct assistance to immigrants Policy Engagement by the Council needed to educate the children of as well as for training, consulta- on Foundations for work on im- farm workers. tion, policy monitoring, litigation, migration policy and the rights of and advocacy. immigrants and other minorities. 1964 Supplied a grant to the Migrant Ministry, which helped 1993 Targeted the struggling 2007 Launched a multi-year, farm labor families form the Farm child-support system in California, multi-million-dollar initiative to Workers Organization of Tulare kicking off a nine-year, $6 million reform California’s criminal justice County. The group became part of initiative that resulted in the com- system, making a first round of the National Farm Workers Associa- plete overhaul of the system. grants to facilitate successful com- tion and helped organize the famous munity reentry from prison and to grape pickers strike. 1995 Foundation grantee Asian combat employment discrimination Pacific American Legal Center against formerly incarcerated people. 1965 Ruth Chance, who was joined the ACLU and the Asian then president of the Rosenberg Law Caucus in representing im- 2008 A coalition of San Foundation, and several others be- migrant workers from Thailand Francisco advocates secured agree- gan meeting to exchange ideas and who had been held as virtual slaves ment for more than $30 million in improve cooperation among founda- in an El Monte sweatshop, result- employment, affordable housing, tions, leading to the formation of the ing in an award of more than $4 and other community benefits from Northern California Grantmakers. million in damages. Bayview-Hunters Point developer, Lennar, Inc. 1973 Gave a grant to establish the 1999 Supported public interest San Francisco Child Abuse Coun- law organizations and immigrant 2010 Made an inaugural grant cil, which now provides training to advocates in successfully challeng- for “Fairness in the Fields,” a new more than 5,000 children and 5,000 ing the constitutionality of Califor- initiative by a coalition including professionals each year. nia’s Proposition 187, an initiative Oxfam America that aims to estab- that prohibited undocumented lish, enforce, publicize, and monitor immigrants and their children from a comprehensive set of labor stan- receiving public education and dards for farm work in the U.S. other services.

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