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The American banking system is broken, and the evidence is unmistakable. From the recent failure of one of the largest banks in the U.S. to ongoing predatory products blanketing lower-income communities, it is clear that we are at an inflection point. Bank regulators currently fall into the familiar trap of trying to fix the symptoms such as banning certain products, minor regulatory modifications without fixing the root causes of structural inequities. This results in repeated crises usually requiring taxpayer-funded bailouts but no meaningful change of the system. We must find better opportunities to address staggering losses of wealth through failures in the banking system while also building new structures that support economic equity and help build and preserve more local community wealth.
It may seem the Census and Redistricting cycles have long concluded, but we continue to learn about details, impacts, and overall experience across the state. Various reports have lifted key findings and recommendations for all sectors to consider. Now more than ever, we must reflect on both cycles to build on the strategies and work of funders and nonprofit leaders. Equally imperative, we must incorporate recommendations and voices from our trusted partners to ensure fair representation for all Californians in future cycles.
In the last year alone, Californians have experienced the impacts of multiple climate disasters including severe drought, extreme heatwaves, earthquakes, catastrophic wildfires, and now several back-to-back Atmospheric Rivers. Climate change will only continue amplifying the risk that Californians face from natural hazards. We can’t keep doing business as usual philanthropy to meet the scope of our current reality.
With more than 30 new state legislators taking office in Sacramento, a $25 billion budget shortfall projected by the Governor, and the looming threat of recession, 2023 presents significant changes and challenges for those of us in the charitable sector working to support vulnerable Californians throughout the state.
The San Francisco Foundation (SFF) is committed to ensuring that all people in the Bay Area are economically secure, rooted in vibrant communities and civically engaged. We envision a Bay Area where everyone is able to make ends meet and plan for their future, where culture and difference are celebrated, and where they are able to lift their voices to shape community policies that meet their needs and interests.
CCJFG Steering Committee members are excited to share the following books and podcasts that have accompanied us as we settle into Spring 2021. The content ranges from writings on indigenous forms of justice and healing to a podcast tracing the connections between hip-hop and mass incarceration to a mixed media collection of responses to the question, what does it mean to be Black and alive? These stories are rigorous, compelling, and bring us closer to understanding the intersections of history, justice work, and future-making.
The Asian Pacific Islander (API) community is gravely impacted by both the criminal justice and immigration systems, yet we don’t hear enough about the challenges and needs of this population. The API prisoner population grew by 250% in the 1990s and API individuals incarcerated in California received life sentences at double the rate of the overall state prison population.