By the Social Justice Fund for Ventura County
While the Social Justice Fund for Ventura County is pleased that the jury found Derek
Chauvin guilty for the murder of George Floyd, we must not veer away from the long
road we still must travel to reach a just and equitable society. Chauvin’s trial has been a
traumatic and painful experience to watch, as we were continuously forced to relive the
gruesome murder George Floyd. Chauvin’s conduct was the byproduct of the historical
injustices inflicted on Black and Brown people in our Country and a legacy of the
unacknowledged racism, which permeates throughout our criminal justice system. This
case was merely a single demonstration of one person being held accountable. We
must not be distracted from our continuous fight for systemic change, true justice, actual
fairness, societal equity and inclusion.
SJFVC Highlights:
- Maria Rodriguez, a 2020 Social Justice Fellow, will present her findings to the
Ventura County District Attorney’s office. Ventura County’s District Attorney, Erik
Nasarenko, announced the initiation of a task force to investigate “notario fraud”
impacting the immigrant community. Maria began her project last fall to collect data and
raise awareness on this specific issue. We applaud the actions of the District Attorney
and our fellow’s contribution as a step forward to attain justice. - Our Chair, Vice Chair, and Executive Director gave a presentation on social justice
to the Ventura Council of Governments (“VCOG”).VCOG is made up of elective
representatives from all 10 Ventura County city governments. Our presentation focused
on racial inequities in Ventura County and emphasized the importance of local leaders
listening to the voices of marginalized communities and including diverse perspectives in
the decision making process. - We urge all who support the Social Justice Fund for Ventura County to enroll in
Amazon Smile. If you are going to shop on Amazon, you might as well support a good
cause in the process! Amazon Smile is a program that contributes a percentage of your
Amazon purchases to a designated non-profit. The Social Justice Fund for Ventura
County is an eligible non-profit on Amazon Smile and we would appreciate your
support. Please click in the link below to enroll.https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/community/how-to-sign-up-for-amazonsmile
With sincere gratitude,
| Michael Teasdale,
Chair, |
Rabiah Rahman
Vice Chair, |
Martita Martinez-Bravo, PsyD
Executive Director, |
