Catalyst California (formerly Advancement Project California) advocates for racial justice by building power and transforming public systems.

Tens of thousands of essential school workers represented by Service Employees International Union Local 99 (SEIU 99) and serving students across the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) announced that they will lead a three-day strike to protest the district’s unfair pay and labor practices. In an important act of solidarity, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) will join the strike, representing over 35,000 teachers in LAUSD. In response, members of the Equity Alliance for LA’s Kids (Catalyst California, Community Coalition, and InnerCity Struggle) released this statement.

In case you missed it last year, we announced that Advancement Project California is now Catalyst California. This marks a new chapter in our nearly 25-year history and a renewed commitment to advocating for racial justice by building power and transforming public systems.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that child care is not only vital for children and families, but for California’s economy. While many schools and businesses moved online at the start of the pandemic, child care providers1 put their lives on the line by keeping their doors open so that first responders, essential workers, and families could work and support their communities.