California Latinas For Reproductive Justice

CALIFORNIA LATINAS FOR REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE (CLRJ) IS A STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO HONORING THE EXPERIENCES OF LATINAS TO UPHOLD OUR DIGNITY, OUR BODIES, SEXUALITY, AND FAMILIES. WE BUILD LATINAS' POWER AND CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP THROUGH COMMUNITY EDUCATION, POLICY ADVOCACY, AND COMMUNITY-INFORMED RESEARCH TO ACHIEVE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE.

PROGRAM NAME: COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND ENGAGEMENTCLRJ'S COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND ENGAGEMENT WORK AIMS TO EXPAND OUR ORGANIZING NETWORK AND TO CONTINUE TO SHIFT CULTURE THROUGH ON THE GROUND AND SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND CROSS-MOVEMENT COALITION BUILDING. THROUGH THIS WORK, CLRJ BUILDS RJ LEADERSHIP IN OUR COMMUNITIES, DOES GRASSROOTS MOBILIZING, AND ENGAGES IN DEEP NARRATIVE CHANGE.IN 2022, THE UNION DE VECINAS (UDV) RECRUITED AND GREW THEIR BASE FROM 6 TO 20 MEMBERS THROUGH CANVASSING EFFORTS. THEY MAINTAINED THEIR GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY TO CARRY OUT THE HOUSING JUSTICE CAMPAIGN FROM 2021. UDV CONTINUED DISSEMINATING THEIR RENT CONTROL AND EVICTION PROTECTIONS PETITION FROM 2021 INTO 2022, AND ACHIEVED THE GOAL OF 1000+ SIGNATURES. THREE UDV MEMBERS CONTINUED TO PARTICIPATE IN AN AD-HOC COMMITTEE ORGANIZED BY THE CITY OF BELL GARDENS UNTIL JUNE 2022, WHERE THEY ADVOCATED FOR THE NEEDS OF TENANTS IN THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDED INPUT TO THE DRAFTED RENT STABILIZATION ORDINANCE. UDV ORGANIZED A CARAVAN IN APRIL OF 2022 WHERE NEWS OUTLETS ATTENDED AND PUBLICIZED THEIR ADVOCACY TO THE PUBLIC. FROM FEBRUARY TO AUGUST UDV LEADERS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT BY SUBMITTING PUBLIC COMMENTS AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS EVERY TWO WEEKS. THE OUTREACH DONE BY THE UDV LEADERS LED TO OVER 80 PEOPLE SUBMITTING PUBLIC COMMENTS AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING. FROM MARCH TO AUGUST, THEY ORGANIZED OVER 3 DEMONSTRATIONS IN FRONT OF CITY HALL WITH OVER 30 PEOPLE AT EACH DEMONSTRATION. NEWS OUTLETS WERE ALSO PRESENT DURING THESE DIRECT ACTIONS TO PHOTOGRAPH AND INTERVIEW PARTICIPANTS TO PUBLISH A REPORT TO THE PUBLIC. IN AUGUST OF 2022, THE BELL GARDENS CITY COUNCIL FINALIZED A RENT STABILIZATION ORDINANCE AND VOTED 5-0 IN FAVOR OF A 4% MAXIMUM RENT CONTROL, RELOCATION ASSISTANCE, ANTI-HARASSMENT/DISCRIMINATION PROTECTION, AND JUST CAUSE EVICTION PROTECTIONS. A SECOND READING OF THE ORDINANCE WAS DONE IN SEPTEMBER AND IT FORMALLY WENT INTO EFFECT IN OCTOBER 2022. ONCE CLRJ AND UDV WON THEIR HOUSING JUSTICE CAMPAIGN, THE LA TIMES AND OTHER LOCAL NEWS OUTLETS INTERVIEWED THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS AND LEADERS. SEVERAL ARTICLES WERE PUBLISHED ANNOUNCING THE MOMENTOUS WIN THAT HAPPENED IN BELL GARDENS. THE LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY FROM THE UNION DE VECINAS WAS DEVELOPED THROUGH TRAININGS FACILITATED BY CLRJ COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS. THESE TRAININGS WERE ORGANIZED BETWEEN MARCH AND AUGUST WHICH INCLUDED: CANVASSING, PUBLIC SPEAKING, COMMUNICATIONS, DRAFTING PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND PHONE BANKING.

PROGRAM NAME: RESEARCHCLRJ'S RESEARCH PROGRAM, SEEKS TO PROMOTE THE REPRODUCTIVE/SEXUAL HEALTH AND JUSTICE OF THE MOST UNDERSERVED LATINAS/ES IN CALIFORNIA BY INFORMING, SHAPING AND INCREASING THE AVAILABILITY OF COMMUNITY INFORMED, POLICY-RELEVANT RESEARCH CONCERNING LATINAS'/ES' REPRODUCTIVE AND SEXUAL HEALTH THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO POLICYMAKERS, POLICY ADVOCATES AND LATINA/E COMMUNITY LEADERS. IN 2022, CLRJ CONTINUED ITS PARTNERSHIPS AND WORK ON THREE CORE RESEARCH PROJECTS, THE CALIFORNIA HOME ABORTION BY TELEHEALTH (CHAT) STUDY, THE YOUTH ABORTION PROJECT (YAP) AND THE EXPLORING THE CONTRACEPTIVE NEEDS, DESIRES, PREFERENCES, AND EXPERIENCES OF BLACK, INDIGENOUS, ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER, AND LATINA/LATINX PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES STUDY (CUPS). CLRJ WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DATA COLLECTION AND BEGIN ANALYSIS FOR THE FOR THE YAP STUDY. FOR THE CUPS STUDY CLRJ SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED DATA COLLECTION AND PARTICIPATED IN ANALYSIS. CLRJ WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE A BLOG POST FOR THE CHAT STUDY SHARING AN RJ PERSPECTIVE TO TRADITIONAL RESEARCH PRACTICES. ALL 2022 DELIVERABLES WERE COMPLETED FOR ALL THREE STUDIES, INCLUDING CLRJ'S PARTICIPATED IN THE SUCCESSFUL SUBMISSION OF A MANUSCRIPT FOR THE CUPS STUDY AND A CLRJ HOSTED CHAT STUDY WEBINAR FOR PARTNERS AND PROVIDERS.THROUGHOUT 2022, CLRJ'S RESEARCH PROGRAM SUPPORTED RESEARCH RELATED ACTIVITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZING PROGRAM AND DURING THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS. CLRJ ALSO ATTEMPTED TO EXPAND THE RESEARCH PROGRAM BY COMPLETING A PROPOSAL FOR RESEARCH FUNDING FROM THE SOCIETY OF FAMILY PLANNING. CLRJ ALSO COMPLETED A LETTER OF INTENT FOR ANOTHER RESEARCH FUNDING OPPORTUNITY WITH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH AND WAS LATER INVITED TO COMPLETE A FULL PROPOSAL IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR. IN ADDITION TO THE RESEARCH RELATED ACTIVITIES, CLRJ'S RESEARCH PROGRAM HELD ADVISORY ROLES ON FOUR COMMUNITY COALITIONS AND RESEARCH ADVISORY BOARDS PROVIDING EDUCATION AND UPLIFTING THE RJ FRAMEWORK IN THESE SPACES.

PROGRAM NAME: POLICY ADVOCACYPOLICY ADVOCACY IS ONE OF CLRJ'S CORE STRATEGIES AND PROGRAM AREAS. CLRJ EDUCATES POLICYMAKERS ON ISSUE AREAS THAT IMPACT THE 7.5 MILLION CALIFORNIA LATINAS, SERVES AS A THOUGHT LEADER AND COLLABORATOR WITH STATE AND NATIONAL ADVOCATES, TRAINS LEADERS ON THE POLICY PROCESS AND HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES, AS WELL AS CONDUCTS LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL POLICY ADVOCACY TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF LATINAS/ES AND THEIR FAMILIES IN CALIFORNIA. IN 2022, CLRJ CO-SPONSORED TWO BILLS AND TWO BUDGET REQUESTS, AND A LOCAL HOUSING CAMPAIGN IN BELL GARDENS, AND SUPPORTED ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS WITH A VARIETY OF OTHER LEGISLATIVE BILLS. CLRJ'S POLICY ADVOCACY TEAM SERVED ON VARIOUS COALITIONS AND ADVISORIES AND ENGAGED (43) POLICYMAKERS (106) TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. MOST NOTABLY, CLRJ WAS SUCCESSFUL IN PASSING AB 2223 (WICKS) DECRIMINALIZATION OF ABORTION AND PREGNANCY LOSS, WHICH WILL ENSURE THAT NO ONE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WILL BE INVESTIGATED FOR ENDING A PREGNANCY OR EXPERIENCING PREGNANCY LOSS, AB 2586 (GARCIA & RIVAS) THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE AND FREEDOM FUND AND COMPANION $15 MILLION BUDGET REQUEST, WHICH WILL ADDRESS THE REPRODUCTIVE AND SEXUAL HEALTH INEQUITIES THAT BLACK, INDIGENOUS AND OTHER COMMUNITIES OF COLOR FACE BY SUPPORTING REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO EQUIP DISPARATELY IMPACTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH MEDICALLY ACCURATE, CULTURALLY CONGRUENT, COMPREHENSIVE SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION AND RESOURCES THAT INCLUDE INFORMATION ON ABORTION CARE. IN 2022 CLRJ ALSO WON A MULTI-YEAR LOCAL HOUSING CAMPAIGN THAT ESTABLISHED BELL GARDENS AS THE FIRST CITY IN SOUTH EAST LA TO PASS A RENT STABILIZATION ORDINANCE WITH STRONG JUST CAUSE EVICTION PROTECTIONS.

PROGRAM NAME: JUSTICE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES (J4YF)JUSTICE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES (J4YF) IS AN INITIATIVE OF CALIFORNIA LATINAS FOR REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE THAT CHAMPIONS YOUNG PEOPLE'S RIGHTS TO SELF-DETERMINATION AND BODILY AUTONOMY, INCLUDING DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO BECOME PARENTS, AND THEIR RIGHT TO PARENT THE CHILDREN THEY HAVE WITHIN A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT. IN 2022, CLRJ RECRUITED AND RETAINED 13 YOUNG PARENTS IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE GRANT PERIOD, AND HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH FORMER YOUNG PARENTS WHO MADE UP OUR J4YF ADVISORY BOARD AND PROVIDED ADVICE AND SUGGESTIONS ON THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THIS NEW ITERATION OF THE YOUNG PARENTS LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (YPLC). RECRUITING THE NEW YPLC INVOLVED CREATING AND DISSEMINATING OUTREACH MATERIALS THROUGH OUR NETWORK OF PARTNERS, CONDUCTING OVER 15 INTERVIEWS AND ORIENTING THE NEW MEMBERS. THE YPLC HAS MET CONSISTENTLY AND HAS RECEIVED TRAINING ON POLICY ADVOCACY, REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE, THE HISTORY OF J4YF, AND COMMUNITY RESEARCH. IN ADDITION, CLRJ DEVELOPED A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER TO SHARE RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES WITH OUR YPLC COHORT.