By Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
Black Student Enrollment in California’s Public Schools Reaches Lowest Level Since 1990s
The number of Black students in California’s public schools has dropped sharply over the last 10 years, as overall school enrollment across the state continues to fall. New data shows that enrollment has declined from 6.2 million students in 2014–15 to just 5.8 million in 2024–25.
According to a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), this is the lowest total seen in California schools since the late 1990s.
The report shows that “in absolute terms, declining enrollment has meant falling numbers of students across most racial/ethnic subgroups.” While the number of Asian and multiracial students has grown, the number of Black and White students has gone down. The changes are most visible in large urban districts, where housing costs and migration out of state are likely playing a role.
At the same time, Latino students now make up the majority of the student population. “In 1998, shares of White and Latino students were similar, almost 40%, but by 2024–25, the share of Latino students had risen over 16 percentage points, while the share of white students fell 18 percentage points,” the report stated.
The share of students classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged has increased, while the share of migrant and foster students has decreased. The number of English Learners has also dropped, partly due to a policy that exempts some transitional kindergarten students from testing.
PPIC researchers say these shifts are likely to continue as enrollment keeps falling. “The state’s education system will need to find ways to serve a changing student body,” the report concluded. Advocates say that means paying close attention to groups like Black students, whose numbers are shrinking but whose needs remain high.
Civil Rights Leaders Call on Gov. Newsom To Commute All 574 Death Penalty Sentences in California
California and national civil rights leaders called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to use his constitutional authority to commute the death sentences of all 574 individuals currently on death row in the state.
The coalition comprised of civil rights and social justice leaders as well as other advocates assembled at the California State Capitol on June 26 to deliver a statement from nearly 200 organizations asking Newsom to grant “universal clemency” to every “individual on death row in California without delay,” the document stated.
California has the largest death row in the country. Oakland-based civil rights attorney Lisa Holder, President of the Equal Justice Society, said that 34% of the inmates on death row in California are Black.
“I’m here to say, ‘wake up.’ Snap out of it. These disparities are egregious,” Holder said. “The racial gaps and outcomes should make you feel outraged. State killing under any circumstances is unacceptable in a civilized society.”
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), as of June 9, 191 death row inmates are Black while 181 are White (29.4%). There are 162 Latinos (27%) among all condemned inmates in the state.
Holder, who was a member of the California Reparations Task Force, tapped into her research on that project to enhance and focus her advocacy on behalf of death row inmates.
Additional speakers at the Capitol rally included Dorothy Ehrlich, former Deputy Executive Director of ACLU National; Eric Harris, Disability Rights California; and Michael Mendoza, Latino Justice National Criminal Justice Director.
Pastor Mike McBride, LIVE FREE; Vincent Pan, Chinese for Affirmative Action; Robert Rooks, One for Justice; Imani Rupert-Gordon, National Center for LGBTQ Rights; and Morgan Zamora, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and other members of the Clemency California Coalition gathered at the West Steps of the State Capitol to help launch the campaign.
The leaders’ request comes as the California Supreme Court weighs a lawsuit filed by several civil rights groups, which argues that the state’s death penalty law is enforced in a racially discriminatory way — and is therefore unconstitutional under the California Constitution’s Equal Protection clause.
The petition to the state’s Supreme Court was filed by the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), the American Civil Liberties Union Capital Punishment Project (ACLU CPP), and the ACLU of Northern California (ACLU NorCal), among others.
“Who is on death row and by the process of how they get there is plagued with racial discrimination, injustice, and constitutional failures,” said Mendoza.
“Honestly, this is not a crisis of policy, but this is a crisis of conscience,” he added.
Assembly Committee Takes on Racism, Hate and Xenophobia
Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), chaired a hearing of the California Select Committee on Racism, Hate, and Xenophobia on June 25.
Titled “The State of Hate and Charting a Path Forward,” the hearing, held at the State Capitol, was a three-panel discussion that examined incidents of racial, ethnic and other forms of aggression experienced by different racial groups in the state.
“Over the last five years, California has experienced the highest rates of hate and discrimination in our state’s history,” Jackson said.
The Assembly Select Committee on Racism, Hate, and Xenophobia was established to confront the biases, perceptions and systems fueling division in California.
The panel discussion was centered on three subjects: the State of Hate and Xenophobia, the Voice of Protected Classes, and Future Equality.
Participants on the first panel were Damon Brown, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) Special Assistant Attorney General and Attorney General Bonta’s Legal and Policy Advisor on Civil Rights and Police Practices. Brian Levin, the chairperson of the California Commission on the State of Hate, accompanied Brown.
Rick Callender, the President of the California Hawaii State Conference, outlined what he perceives as “systemic racism” as well as hate crimes that are “pervasive across multiple dimensions.”
Callender shared that systemic racism is harmful because it’s not just about the individual acts of prejudice or discrimination — it is embedded into the fabric of society, operating on large-scale societal systems, practices, ideologies, and programs.
Callender pointed to the criminal justice system and the recent data collected by the California Racial Identity Profiling Advisory Board (RIPA).
Callender testified that RIPA’s annual report states that Black drivers are stopped 126% more frequently than expected, and Black and Latino youth are disproportionately impacted.
“Police use force, handcuffs or firearms against Black youth at an alarmingly high rate, 45% for ages 12 to 14, compared to 19% for White youth,” Callender told the committee.
Callender added that the California Legislature should consider looking at police oversight and reform to prevent racial profiling.
Administered by the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), the Stop the Hate program is an initiative aimed at combating hate incidents and hate crimes.
“It’s clear these efforts are still gravely needed in our community. We need this kind of hate prevention dollars to be able to address these things in our communities,” Callender said.
“This is what today is all about. Uplifting the voices of protected classes and proclaiming solidarity as we face a common enemy,” Jackson said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, Calif. State Officials, Blast Pres. Trump’s “Big Ugly Bill”
Gov. Gavin Newsom came out swinging June 27 against what he called the “Big Ugly Bill” and the “Big Beautiful Betrayal” — former President Donald Trump’s latest budget proposal, which Newsom says would devastate California’s health care and food assistance systems.
Kim Johnson, secretary of the state’s Health and Human Services Agency, and Michelle Baass, director of California’s Department of Health Care Services, also participated in the news conference.
The bill, officially touted by Republicans as the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” would slash at least $28.4 billion in federal Medicaid funding to California and threaten health coverage for up to 3.4 million Californians. It also proposes billions in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), putting at risk the food security of hundreds of thousands of low-income families.
“The so-called ‘Big, Beautiful bill’ is not cost saving. It is not smart. It is cruel, costly, and a significant encroachment on states’ rights – the opposite of what Republican leadership claims to stand for. Big government is getting bigger under Trump and Speaker Johnson, as they attempt to dictate every move states make and micromanage Americans through even greater bureaucracy. It’s dangerous, and anyone with common sense should oppose it.”
Cuts to Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid, serves about 15 million Californians, which accounts for about 35% of the state’s population.
Under the plan, states would be forced to re-verify eligibility for ACA expansion adults every six months instead of annually, a move expected to strip coverage from over 400,000 Californians and cost the state $2.4 billion. Work requirements would eliminate benefits for up to 3 million more. Planned Parenthood warns the bill could shut down nearly 200 clinics in California alone.
SNAP changes would strip away between $2.8 and $5.4 billion annually, pushing 735,000 Californians off CalFresh — the state’s SNAP program — while saddling state and local governments with up to $4 billion in new costs.
Newsom pledged to fight back and urged Californians to speak out against the cuts that could lead to the loss of tens of thousands of jobs.
The governor led a press conference June 27 alongside top health officials to outline the bill’s projected impact.
“This is devastating,” said Newsom at the press conference. “I know that word is overused, but his is, in many ways, an understatement of how reckless and cruel and damaging this is to millions and millions of people across this country — but more than any other state, here in California.
A Boost to State’s Economy: California Touts 48 Film Projects Benefiting From New Tax Credits
California is welcoming 48 new film productions made possible, in the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week.
The projects are expected to bring in $664 million in spending and create more than 6,500 jobs across the state.
“California didn’t earn its role as the heart of the entertainment world by accident,” said Newsom on June 23. “Today’s awards help ensure this legacy continues, keeping cameras rolling here at home and supporting thousands of crew members behind the scenes.”
The new round includes 43 independent films, many of which will be shot outside of Los Angeles. Locations include San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Riverside County and Bakersfield. Five major studio films were also selected, including a sequel to “One of Them Days” from Sony Pictures, which plans to spend over $39 million in qualified expenses.
Colleen Bell, director of the California Film Commission, said the tax credits are key to keeping productions from moving out of state. “This industry is core to California’s creative economy and keeping production here at home is more important than ever,” said Bell.
The productions are expected to hire 6,515 cast and crew and create over 32,000 background acting jobs measured in workdays.
The program has been a major driver of economic growth since it launched in 2009. Nearly 800 projects have been approved, generating almost $27 billion in statewide spending.
Newsom recently proposed expanding the program’s annual funding from $330 million to $750 million to keep California competitive.