Activist Organization Paid Students to Attend Social Justice Training

Activist group Californians for Justice (CFJ) paid students in the Long Beach Unified School District $1,400 to attend racial and social justice training, according to contracts obtained by The Free Press.

Californians for Justice seeks to advance “racial equity,” according to its website. “To truly advance racial equity in our schools we must acknowledge how race and racism play key roles in shaping the experiences of young people on three levels – institutional, interpersonal, and internal,” it reads.

“We need to replace our current outdated model of education with models that center race and relationships as the key for students of color to thrive,” the organization adds. “Since its beginning, our education system has been based in a ‘factory model’ design that is no longer relevant to the young people of today. We’ve had a one-size-fits-all model of education for over 100 years and now need an education system that is organized around students’ racial identities, needs and experiences.”

Between 2019 and 2023, the school district paid the organization about $2 million for the training program.

According to the contracts, about $100,000 was given to at least 78 students participating in the taxpayer-funded activity.

In an October 2021-June 2022 contract, the program’s purpose was described as “intentionally [weaving] in student voice by co-creating racial equity initiatives rooted in youth experience.” To accomplish this goal, the contract described “Coaching for Middle School team on the Equity Transformation Cycle (ETC) and “Student-Led Professional Development.”

Following the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, CFJ produced pro-Palestine content and suggested Israel was involved in “ethnic cleansing.” In response to complaints, students with CFJ said the group was “targeted by racist and xenophobic harassment for our support for Palestinian human rights.”

When The Free Press inquired about the contracts, a spokesperson for the school district defended the training, describing the payment as “internships” ensuring “equitable participation in CFJ programs, embracing diverse perspectives in education.”