Black Family Summit 2023 Call to Action

Our first year's action and recommendations for our Black Families and Students. We focus our efforts unapologetically on them and no one else.

  • Boundaries in our relationships with our children and partners

  • Exploring and researching more data on Black youth outcomes in school, health, work etc

  • Mental illness is something we need to address on a daily basis

    • Support for mental health for Black families and their children

    • Bridge the cultural gaps to increase accessibility to mental health resources

    • Increasing management of our emotions as it relates to societal issues and trauma

    • Mindfulness when taking care of ourselves (emotions, inequities in education)

  • Use social media/technology to spread awareness

  • Provide parenting classes and build communities that support our children; change our parenting modalities

    • Advocate for the participation of Black men/fathers in families; support for Black mothers and their children

  • Remove the notion of implicit bias in public institutions

For Our Black Families we will work on the following:

For Our Black Students:

  • Exposing your families and children to experiences that are out of your comfort zone (museums, etc.)

    • Get involved with your children in extracurricular activities (music, dance, art, etc.)

    • Joining the ethnic studies program (CSUN)

  • We must not sit still and let educators/administrators promise things for our Black children (BSAP, etc.)

    • Programs that promise benefits but do not deliver

    • Millions dumped into these programs but not used wisely

    • Lack of transparency for data, funding, budget, and distribution

    • Speak up at the BSAP meetings in regards to education and funding for our students

    • Demand change

    • Handle the issues strategically instead of arguing publicly and plan ahead

    • Ensure there are consequences when demands are not met (accountability)

  • Raise awareness and address bills that hide behind the promise of providing a budget for our Black students

  • Change the current model for classroom instruction

    • Cultural pedagogy, suspensions, chronic absenteeism, education materials

    • Provide workshops for parents to ensure their children are meeting A-G requirements for University

    • Understanding and navigating the curriculum

    • Understanding which courses to take

  • Be the one to make the change. You cannot always rely on the system to make that change. Starts at home and evolves into the community.

    • Educate your children

    • Ensure your children have a voice

    • “Not only hear our presence, but feel our presence.”

    • Get out of our comfort zone and become activists; incorporate our creativity

  • Challenge your children to achieve their potential

    • Don’t settle for what others expect from them

  • Sunshine Academy

    • Encourage collaboration between organizations and youth clubs

    • Sponsors