News & Commentary

The Oakland Unified School District last week took the latest in a series of steps aimed at reducing interaction between district students and school district police officers that too often leads to overly-harsh discipline that pushes kids out of school and into the criminal justice system.

You’ve seen police uniforms on TV. Some have medals, some have stripes, some are blue and some are tan, but they always have a badge, and a little nameplate on the chest bearing the officers name. In California, officers are required by state law to wear that nameplate identifying them. Why? Accountability.

As technology advances and it becomes easier to amass consumers’ personal information, these state-driven solutions will be essential to ensuring our privacy is not left behind.

Every county in California has one elected district attorney and one elected sheriff. Do you know who you're voting for on June 3?

When I was young, my mom was on welfare. She wasn't unlike other moms on our South Los Angeles block: single, working multiple jobs, and doing her best to keep her head above water. My mom braved the stigma that is tethered to receiving state benefits. Braving it is what poor people do...

Last week’s decision by a federal appeals court allowing an expensive and multi-year lawsuit to go forward against San Francisco is a reminder of the immense cost—both to civil liberties and the public fisc—that can follow a community’s failure to have a thorough public discussion about surveillance technology and adopt legally enforceable safeguards if it is going to be used.

Over 50 LGBTQ youth activists with the GSA Advocacy and Youth Leadership Academy traveled to Sacramento to advocate for safe and supportive school environments for all students. This year, the youth met with legislators to talk about three important pieces of legislation that impact their lives.

By Judy Pendleton

This Mother’s Day, I want to honor mothers of all ages—the young and old—including myself. As a seventeen year old mother, I know all too well both the joys and struggles of motherhood. When I became pregnant at 14, I knew my life would change dramatically but because of the way teen mothers are stigmatized, I never imagined I could be this happy.