For our Season 2 finale of Courage — It Looks Good on You!, we’re looking ahead to 2024! Specifically the 2024 primary election, taking place in California in March, and how one of California’s most important voting-blocks, Latinas, can shape the future.

According to a UCLA study, “turnout gaps between Latinos—one of the fastest-growing demographic groups— will lead to election results that are increasingly unrepresentative of the wishes of many voters… [however] research has shown that having sustained and direct face-to-face voter engagement with Latino voters is imperative to get them to the polls.” 

Senior Policy Adviser for Communities for a New California Action Fund (CNC Action Fund), Melissa Vargas, joins Angela Chavez, communications director at Courage California, to discuss the different ways CNC is engaging Latino communities in the Central Valley and why tapping into the power of Latina leadership is, and will continue to be, critical in our state’s elections and progress. 

• CNC Publication, EARN THE LATINA VOTE: https://issuu.com/news_review/docs/cncfund-092922-rgb-hires 
• https://latino.ucla.edu/research/voter-turnout-gaps-2020/ 

With You, fashioned in Courage, We Can create a California that represents and serves us all.

Connect with us: @CourageCA #CourageLooksGoodOnYou
Support: couragecalifornia.org/donate

The 2022-23 California legislative session may have come to an end, and in our guest’s opinion, was an “epic fail” – but the people still have opportunities to impact change in our communities, by urging Gov. Newsom to sign key legislation and voting for transformative ballot measures in the upcoming 2024 election. 

Jay Hockley Sr., a community organizer at Initiate Justice, joins Irene Kao, Executive Director of Courage California, to discuss the fate of important 2023 public safety bills he advocated for, the opportunities Californians still have to push some key policies forward, and his thoughts on the future of criminal justice and public safety in our state, and at the local level.

View Courage California's updated 2023 Priority Bill list here: https://couragecalifornia.org/2023-priority-legislation/ 

With You, fashioned in Courage, We Can create a California that represents and serves us all.

Connect with us: @CourageCA #CourageLooksGoodOnYou
Support: couragecalifornia.org/donate

The UFW has been instrumental in passing laws, securing protections for farm workers, and advocating  for immigration reform, but there is still much work to be done, and fast, due to the severity of the climate crisis. Year after year, increased temperatures and natural disasters have proven fatal for farm workers – even in California, where we have some of the strictest labor laws. So why are advocates pushing for a national response, especially if California’s laws would remain stronger?

The Director of Strategic Campaigns for United Farm Workers, Elizabeth Strater, joins Angela Chavez, communications director at Courage California, to discuss their campaign urging Occupational Safety and Health Administration, commonly known as OSHA, to implement National Emergency Heat Regulations. 

With You, fashioned in Courage, We Can create a California that represents and serves us all.

Connect with us: @CourageCA #CourageLooksGoodOnYou
Support: couragecalifornia.org/donate

School districts nationwide, including here in California, have been up against right-wing activists who have been pushing back against the LGBTQ+ community in education. While this is nothing new, in recent years there has been an uptick in activists pushing misinformation, strategically electing right-wing leaders to school boards, and passing discriminatory policies in our schools.  

San Bernardino City Unified School District board member, Abigail Medina, joins Angela Chavez, communications director at Courage California, to discuss how the growing right-wing attacks against LGBTQ+ have taken shape in her community and the work being done in San Bernardino to counter the attacks, protect their students, and provide safe spaces for all. 

With You, fashioned in Courage, We Can create a California that represents and serves us all.

Connect with us: @CourageCA #CourageLooksGoodOnYou
Support: couragecalifornia.org/donate

As the 2022-23 California Legislative calendar year comes to an end, voters will soon be bombarded with campaign ads and candidates making impressive claims and promises about themselves, and damning claims about their opponents, all in an attempt to win your 2024 vote.
 
But thanks to Courage Score, Californians can tune-out the campaign noise (and misinformation) and see the receipts firsthand.
 
Irene Kao, executive director of Courage California joins Angela Chavez, to discuss all things Courage Score: what it is, how voters can use it, and the impact it has made in Sacramento since 2014, by simply laying out the facts – voting records and campaign contributions – and helping California voters hold their representatives accountable, year round.
 
Find your representative, here: https://couragescore.org/ 

With You, fashioned in Courage, We Can create a California that represents and serves us all.

Connect with us: @CourageCA #CourageLooksGoodOnYou
Support: couragecalifornia.org/donate

Californians overwhelmingly care about the environment and climate change. Courage California’s newly released polling provides us with a better understanding as to what exactly this means to our state’s diverse communities – how Californians view it, are impacted by it, who they believe is responsible for it –  and what this means for the future of environmental racism and justice. According to the poll, communities that are overburdened by climate change contributing industries, are not willing to exchange jobs for health.  

Sylvia Arredondo from Communities for a Better Environment and Matt Abularach-Macias from EnviroVoters, joins Angela Chavez, communications director at Courage California, to discuss the newly released statewide environmental poll results and what voters want from California’s policy-makers and corporations as we experience increasingly severe impacts of climate change.

https://couragecalifornia.org/california-poll-results/

With You, fashioned in Courage, We Can create a California that represents and serves us all.

Connect with us: @CourageCA #CourageLooksGoodOnYou
Support: couragecalifornia.org/donate

In the aftermath of the Antioch Police Department’s “racist text scandal” – in which texts were released that revealed decades of police officers using derogatory, homophobic and sexually explicit language, and bragging about falsifying evidence and beating up suspects – community members are left picking up the pieces, facing hard truths, and in need of healing. 

James Herard, executive director of Lift Up Contra Costa, joins Angela Chavez, communications director at Courage California, to discuss the community’s response and continued fall out since news broke about the Police Dept.’s “racists text scandal,” and what the rest of the nation can learn as Antioch residents question if trust can be rebuilt. 

With You, fashioned in Courage, We Can create a California that represents and serves us all.

Connect with us: @CourageCA #CourageLooksGoodOnYou
Support: couragecalifornia.org/donate

We're kicking off season two of  Courage — It Looks Good On You! with Steve Phillips,  author of "Brown Is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority" and the newly released national bestselling book "How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good." 

Steve Phillips, joined by Irene Kao, executive director of Courage California, discusses his new book and what exactly it will take to protect democracy, and if we're prepared for it and up to the challenge.  

With You, fashioned in Courage, We Can create a California that represents and serves us all.

Connect with us: @CourageCA #CourageLooksGoodOnYou
Support: couragecalifornia.org/donate

Join us in June for a new season of Courage — It Looks Good On You! We’ll be covering an array of topics to ensure you're an empowered voter, and Californian. 

If you have any questions or topic suggestions please feel free to email us at [email protected]. 

With You, fashioned in Courage, We Can create a California that represents and serves us all.

Connect with us: @CourageCA #CourageLooksGoodOnYou
Support: couragecalifornia.org/donate

Hear from our Courageous team members – who have been busy helping pass progressive state legislation, getting out the vote for our elections, and holding our electeds accountable – to find out what they’re thankful for in 2022. 

Spoiler alert, we’re all a bit thankful to the California voters who made their voices heard in the midterm elections! 

With You, fashioned in Courage, We Can create a California that represents and serves us all.

Connect with us: @CourageCA #CourageLooksGoodOnYou
Support: couragecalifornia.org/donate