Ethnic Studies Now Coalition

San Diego passes resolution in support of Ethnic Studies!

SanDiego School Board approves unanimously a resolution in favor of #EthnicStudies @EthnicStudiesCA pic.twitter.com/UDQhffN8eh
— Unión del Barrio (@UniondelBarrio) June 10, 2015

posted by | 5sc
June 09, 2015

AB 101 passes in the CA Assembly -- now onto Senate!

My AB101 to create an EthnicStudies Advisory Cmte &plan to implement ES statewide passed 51-19 TODAY!@EthnicStudiesCA pic.twitter.com/oFLfSVgGJs
— Asm. Luis Alejo (@AsmLuisAlejo) June 3, 2015

posted by | 758.60sc
June 03, 2015

LAUSD Student speaker at June 2 press conference

posted by | 421sc
June 02, 2015

AB 101 passes CA Appropriations Committee

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SENT EMAILS TO THE ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE! Over 350 emails were sent to the members of the committee in the lead up to their vote today. Now AB 101 goes before the entire CA Assembly!

My ethnic studies bill AB101 moves out of Asm AppropsCmte today& to full vote by Assembly next week! @EthnicStudiesCA pic.twitter.com/7o7btZ9jhI
— Asm. Luis Alejo (@AsmLuisAlejo) May 28, 2015

posted by | 550sc
May 28, 2015

Ethnic Studies Now Coalition Prepared to Defend Ethnic Studies Initiative in LAUSD

Los Angeles, CA—The Ethnic Studies Now Coalition is prepared to defend the ethnic studies initiative and is mobilizing its community base to the June 9^th LAUSD Board Meeting at 2:00 p.m. The Ethnic Studies Now Coalition is the grassroots organization that is responsible for organizing the campaign to make ethnic studies a graduation requirement in LAUSD. The historic initiative was passed last November 18, 2014 at a packed school board meeting that included hundreds of students and community members who strongly voiced their enthusiasm and support for the ethnic studies graduation requirement. The school board responded with a 6-1 vote and a newly seated Superintendent Cortines voiced his readiness by enthusiastically stating that he, “accepted the challenge!” On May 8, 2015, in an email addressed to school board members and executive staff, Cortines relinquished the challenge and stated, “ I do not support the recommendation to make Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement. Ethnic Studies is not a requirement to gain acceptance nor is it a requirement to graduate from any college institution.”

Ethnic Studies Committee Woes

One of the first challenges to realizing the initiative was putting together a capable Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee. This responsibility fell primarily to the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Angel Barrett. Surprisingly, the Committee was formed to the exclusion of members of the Ethnic Studies Now Coalition and was heavily packed with District administrative staff, a majority of whom had little to no experience with ethnic studies matters. Only after petitioning school board members to include representation from the Ethnic Studies Now Coalition did the Coalition get 2 seats at the table. The Coalition added tremendous value to the Committee by bringing in the only ethnic studies scholar to sit on the Committee, Professor and Chair of Pan African Studies at CSULA, activist/scholar Dr. Melina Abdullah. The Coalition also brought in current teachers and students of ethnic studies who were able to articulate the social and academic value that teaching and learning in ethnic studies provides. These voices were critical in steering the District members of the Committee away from a diversity class and moving the implementation plan to a model where an intercultural ethnic studies course and an array of classes in the field of ethnic studies would satisfy the graduation requirement.

Sticker Shock

The Ethnic Studies Coalition rejects as factually inaccurate the assumption that the Ethnic Studies Committee as a whole provided any budget estimates or projections. The 5 Committee meetings consisted of developing consensus on an implementation model and a timeline, at no time did the Committee discuss budget in detail. Members of the Ethnic Studies Committee did not receive a budget projection until Monday, May 25, 2015 -- by chance where a budget document was publicly available at the entrance to the Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Committee meeting. Early analysis by independent budget experts reveal that this budget is highly speculative and inflated in the areas of textbook and teacher costs. It appears that the budget is designed to induce sticker shock to provide fodder for a pre-emptive media blitz aimed at shutting down ethnic studies.

posted by | 758.60sc
May 28, 2015

We mourn the loss of the life of Monique Rivera

Dear Friends,

It is with great sadness that we have been made aware of the passing of Monique Rivera, who was an active member of the Ethnic Studies Now Coalition. Our most sincere condolences to her family and friends. You may recall the flyer we distributed last year to promote the rally before the historic vote by the LAUSD Board last November and which featured a photo of her in a graphic design by Mayra Rangel. Here are the details of the vigil to remember Monique, as posted on Facebook:

WHEN: Today (April 9, 2015) 3:20-4:10pm

LOCATION: Free Speech Zone in front of Cal State LA University Bookstore

"A beloved daughter, a brilliant classmate, and an amazing friend. Monique Rivera was a fellow Cal State-Los Angeles student. She was majoring in Psychology with a minor in Pan African Studies and had less than one year left before graduation. Her body was found on Monday (4/6) in her Alhambra home, where she resided with her mother and grandmother. She was 25 years of age. Monique was a believer in the need for social justice and was an organizer and advocate for social change. She had a bright and promising future ahead of her. Out love and condolences go to her family. We love her and will miss her dearly, rest in power Monique!" via https://www.facebook.com/events/781671405279851/

¡¡¡MONIQUE RIVERA PRESENTE!!!

passing_of_Monique_Rivera_-_graphic_by_Mayral_Rangel.jpg

posted by | 550sc
April 09, 2015

100th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide - UCLA Commemorates

via Society for Armenian Studies website

LOS ANGELES—From April 10-11, 2015. The Richard Hovannisian Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA [established by the Armenian Educational Foundation] will hold a conference to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. (click on image to enlarge).

The event is co-sponsored by the Gustave Von Grunebaum Center for Near East Studies (UCLA), the UCLA Center for European and Eurasian Studies,as well as the UCLA Department of History. It will involve two days of panels featuring an international cast of world-renowned scholars as well as an evening of keynote speakers on Friday (April 10) and a small concert at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall.

Professors Richard G. Hovannisian, Ronald Grigor Suny, and Istanbul-based public intellectual and academic Murat Belge will each provide their reflections with musical interludes by the Armenian Music Ensemble of UCLA under the direction of Movses Poghossian.

One of the concerns that threads together the different academic panels on the genocide is to embed the Armenian-Ottoman tragedy within the larger contexts of world or global history, emphasizing the comparative and connective aspects of this defining event in the historical trajectories of Armenians, Turks, and others in the course of a “century of genocides.”

Participating scholars include Norman Naimark, Donald Bloxham, Jay Winter, Dirk Moses, Richard Hovannisian, Gary Bass, Gerard Libaridian, Donald Miller, Bülent Bilmez, Bedross Der Matossian, Uğur Ümit Üngör, Janet Klein, Ruken Şengul, Murat Yildiz, Sossie Kasbarian, Dzovinar Derderian, and others.

Please see attached conference poster for a full listing of the program and venue.

Genocide and global history March 2 finalDirect any inquiries to conference organizer and holder of the Chair, Professor Sebouh D. Aslanian,[email protected].

posted by | 550sc
April 07, 2015

honoring California Indians - Student Art Show Reception

via http://www.indianeducationlausd.com/calendar-backup/

"This annual exhibition demonstrates the strong collaborative spirit of two institutions devoted to promoting American Indian Arts and Cultural education through the Los Angles Unified School District. American Indian/Alaskan Native Title VII students were thrilled to showcase their talents at the Autry National Center.

Each year, students focus their studies on tribes of a given region in the United States. Sandy Franks, the Title VII Cultural Advisor chooses the region each year and creates the lesson plans that encompass the art projects that are displayed. Young Indian artists tap into their creativity and express themselves through a variety of authentic art projects."

posted by | 421sc
April 07, 2015

AB 101 passes CA Assembly Education Committee

On March 25, 2015 Assembly Bill 101 passed the California Assembly Education Committee, and now goes onto the CA Appropriations Committee. You can watch the entire video or scroll down to watch specific segments: