Hundreds of organizers, activists, and advocates rallied last week at the Capitol in a show of support for SB 4, otherwise known as the Health 4 All. The bill, which passed the Senate Health Committee in a unanimous vote last week, would provide health insurance to all Californians, including undocumented residents.
A group of 13 Merced youth, ranging from ages 12 to 24, visited the State Capitol last Tuesday in a trip organized by the Merced Organizing Project (MOP). Their mission was to bring attention to issues plaguing their community such as violence, education and health care.
Redemption is forgiveness and the second part is actually moving forward and starting to bring the positive things into light. The accountability and responsibility is looking inside your pain. Then the redemption part is when you start taking the lessons from that pain.
UC President Janet Napolitano is locked is a battle with California Gov. Jerry Brown and the state legislature over restoring funding to the University cut during the recession. In an interview with NAM Editor Peter Schurmann, Napolitano says the stakes are much higher than a budget tussle. They go to the heart of what role California and the nation sees for public higher education.
“I wish they would treat us better, or that we could have more opportunities,” said Gonzalez, who also noted that working in the fields while being a student at Merced College student is challenging. “I’ve been working in the fields since I was in high school, because it is the only way I could make a living.”
Merced County just counted its ninth homicide of 2015 a few days ago. The previous year had the most homicides on record in the county at 31. Many of the Merced County victims have been young people of color, like the young man shot and killed in Winton earlier this week and a Merced teen who was shot and killed in the parking lot of Tenaya Middle School back in February. Much of the media coverage around the violence has focused on law enforcement, gang activity and property values. We’ced youth reporters asked our community members a different question: How has violence affected your life?
FRESNO– Community leaders, residents and state officials met Thursday night in West Fresno at Westside Church of God to talk about Proposition 47 and the flaws in the criminal justice system in Fresno County and across California.
Before I was even born, someone decided that my life did not matter. As it turns out, [California’s] infamous three strikes law actually originated in Fresno after some very serious crimes occurred in the area. But after it passed, people of color were mostly targeted. This is not fair, because Black lives do matter.
For the first time in the history of Merced, community organizers, organizations, and residents came together to celebrate the legacy of Cesar Chavez, and to continue the fight for farmworker rights and health care.
Translate
