LA Forwards & Backwards

Excited to share a panel discussion with three progressive candidates for office in 2020 who shared what they learned, what they wish they knew when they got started, and how we can build the political power needed to advance our movement for justice! Moderated by David Levitus and featuring Aura Vasquez, Godfrey Plata, and Yasmine-Imani McMorris, Culver City Councilmember.

For the 1st time ever, LA County has an independent Redistricting Commission that gives residents, not politicians, the power to draw district maps and prevent gerrymandering. YOU can shape the redistricting process by serving as a commissioner. You will need to apply by August 31. Learn more by listening to this workshop hosted by LA Forward and Common Cause. Full video version is available at https://losangelesforward.org/redistricting

Are you discovering the power of local government for the first time? Confused by what you're learning? Want to get educated so you can be effective in making sure our budgets and policies reflect our values? Listen to a recording of our 2020 teach-in on LA Civics 101 to get an overview of the nuts and bolts of local government.

What's the difference between LA City and LA County? What about the 87 other cities in LA County? What kind of power does the LA City Council have compared to the Mayor compared to the County Board of Supervisors? What's the role of the City Attorney (Mike Feuer), the District Attorney (Jackie Lacey), and the County Sheriff (Alex Villanueva)? We can't promise we'll answer all your questions but we'll sure as hell will try!

Our schools and communities face huge challenges. A major culprit is the lack of resources to ensure small class sizes and comprehensive student and community services. Thankfully we have the opportunity to change that by closing a corporate loophole on commercial property. Check out this panel discussion of the Schools & Communities First measure to learn how we can reclaim $3 billion a year for LA schools, colleges, social services, parks, libraries, health clinics, affordable housing, and infrastructure.

We're excited to have the Advancement Project's Alejandra Ponce de Leon on the show to discuss crucially important issues like getting a full, accurate census in one of the hardest-to-count places (hint hint-- it's Los Angeles), why it matters for our democracy and getting the resources we need to tackle our region's biggest challenges, and how people like you can prevent gerrymandering through the independent citizens redistricting commission.

We're back! Tommy Newman of the Everyone In campaign joins us to discuss one of our biggest challenges -- the 52,765 human beings who are homeless in Los Angeles County. It's cruel and immoral and fortunately Everyone In is leading efforts to make sure we actually build the affordable and supportive housing that's needed to solve the problem. We go deep into the long- and short-term causes of the crisis and what people like you can do to make a difference.

This special episode was recorded live at the SIJCC and features LAFB's first ever panel discussion. We bring together leaders from four of California's leading immigrant rights organizations to discuss how to effectively fight back the Trump administration's attack on immigrant communities — through sanctuary policy campaigns, political organizing, lawsuits, legal representation for individuals, guerrilla post-it-noting, and more.

Season 2 is here—thanks to the generosity of listeners like you! To kick things off, we welcome Sandra Fluke, California Director of Voices for Progress who gives us the inside scoop on how politics works in our state. From gerrymandering and term limits to corporate capture of certain Democrats, we get real talk about who wields power in Sacramento and how they do it. Then we discuss the fight for a strong "net neutrality" law and the abolition of "money bail," plus how you can get involved.

Rabeya Sen of Esperanza Community Housing joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the connections between issues as diverse as domestic violence, immigration enforcement, the criminal justice system, and urban displacement and gentrification.

Martha Dina Argüello talks with us about the STAND-LA coalition’s work to phase out the silent but deadly oil drilling that still exists near homes, schools, and hospitals across Los Angeles. A native of the neighborhood around Vista Hermosa Park and its plethora of oil wells, Martha shares her story and highlights the need to push for a just transition where disadvantaged communities and workers all benefit from the move from fossil fuels to clean energy.