Civic Engagement

Schools & Communities First

For the past 40 years, there has been a growing gap in expenditures between high- and low-spending school districts in California, and these differences in spending have hit Black communities hardest:

• Black students now have scores below the state average on
  Math and English proficiency.
• The 3rd grade math proficiency rate for Black students is 30%,
  while the California average is 50%.
• The 3rd grade English language arts proficiency rate for Black students is 31%,
  18 percentage points lower than the California average of 49%.
• When it comes to high school graduation rates, Black students average 70.8%
  compared to the California average of 82.3%.

https://www.schoolsandcommunitiesfirst.org/black-leaders

My Black Counts

My Black Counts is an educational and awareness campaign designed to share the importance and benefits of participation in the 2020 census and redistricting process. My Black Counts is the anthem that unites us all! We honor and celebrate the unique individuality and humanity of Blackness. We include the voices of immigrants or those who are native-born; man, woman, non-binary or transgender; child, Millennial or senior; of all faiths and backgrounds. The census impacts us all, for generations to come. When we unite with action, we gain access to what we need to thrive. We all must be in the count, our future counts on it.

https://myblackcounts.org/

California Earned Income Tax Credit

Now it’s time to keep more of what you made. The #caleitc can help. Workers age 18 and older who made $30,000 or less are eligible. Find out if you qualify, and learn where to get FREE tax prep services: California has a new Young Child Tax Credit.

When combined with the #caleitc and the federal #EITC, it could mean up to $8,000 back for families with young children. Find out if you qualify and make sure to file for FREE!

https://CalEITC4Me.org

Million Voters Project

The Million Voters Project, an alliance of 6 powerful state-based networks, is gearing up for their first step in strategically transforming the electorate by contacting over 1 million voters and mobilizing over 700,000 of them to the polls in the November 2016 General Election.

African-American Civic Engagement Project:
Building Power in California’s Black Communities

California is home to the 5th largest black population in the country. African-Americans play a defining role in electing progressive candidates and passing progressive laws. As “likely voters” in the Black community age, it is critical to engage and motivate younger generations to step into leadership and civic engagement at higher rates.

“We Are California”

As a California Calls anchor, COPE is supporting “We Are California” – a campaign calling on the California majority to use their power to create laws that work for ALL Californians, not just big corporations or the richest 1%. “We Are California” will work through California Calls’ member organizations across the state, tapping into their local, grassroots base of supporters. Supporters are asked to pledge to vote in every election.

Click here to join the campaign and receive additional information and tools for this election year: http://www.wearecalifornia.org/cope

The California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act is a proposed constitutional amendment that would update and improve Proposition 13, the 1978 tax law that fundamentally crippled local governments.

A contributing factor to Prop. 13’s passage was the sentiment that older Californians should not be priced out of their homes through high property taxes. However, the proposition’s underreported giveaways to big business and corporations have exacerbated inequity and inefficiency in the state’s tax structure.

For more information, visit https://schoolsandcommunitiesfirst.org/

COPE is a regional anchor organization with California Calls is a statewide alliance of 31 organizations organized in 12 counties. Our long-term goal is developing a progressive alliance of grassroots social justice organizations and unions representing key issues and strategic geographic regions of California, with agreement on a public policy agenda, and the collective power to win systemic reform. For more information, visit http://www.cacalls.org/.

Are you trying to save money and energy? Are you struggling to pay your electric, gas or phone bills? Need help preventing a utility shutoff? Getting calls from gas companies saying they can save you money? Need to know your consumer rights?

If you answered yes to any of these questions our fact sheets can give you the information you need!

Turn Fact Sheets: http://www.turn.org/policyvoice/turn-fact-sheets/

To get involved, please contact Rev. Benjamin Briggs, Senior Organizer and Director of Civic Engagement at bbriggs@copesite.org.