California is also where many of the most pressing issues raised by the pontiff – from climate change to LGBTQ rights and immigration – remain at the fore of political debate. YouthWire asked its youth reporters to weigh in on some of the Pope’s positions on climate change, gay rights and immigration, and what his message might mean for their communities.
Last month, representatives from Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities joined with Black, Latino, and Native American communities from all over the state to bring attention to this issue by calling for the passage of Assembly Bill 953, a bill that would increase law enforcement transparency and accountability.
If signed, the California Racial Mascot Act would ban the use of "Redskin" as a school mascot name. Currently four high schools in California still use what many call a Native American slur as their school mascot. Three of the four high schools--Gustine, Tulare and Chowchilla--are located in the Central Valley.
Even after the smoke is seemingly gone from the air, I am still not breathing well. My head still throbs and my inhaler does little for the pain. For the past few days it’s been like there’s not enough oxygen in the air. I feel like I'm walking around with a heavy cloth over my face preventing me from breathing.
If AB 953 passes, it could prevent more parents from having to know the pain Theresa carries. Cops would be held accountable for their actions, and the law would curb racial profiling and patterns of behavior that make police seem like they are above the law.
Solitary confinement did not rehabilitate me or stop me from returning to jail. What it did do was leave me with a lasting scar in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that I continue to carry with me today.
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