LONG BEACH, CA — Building upon a comprehensive review of grassroots organizing and educational reform over the past ten years, the Children’s Defense Fund-California (CDF-CA) is preparing to host a pivotal community gathering this week. On Friday, October 2, 2026, the organization will welcome local families, educators, and regional advocates to “Rising Together: A Parent and Community Advocacy Forum on the Long Beach Report,” an interactive event designed to equip residents with practical tools for fostering lasting political influence and driving systemic change within local institutions.
The free public forum is scheduled to run from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM PST at the offices of Long Beach Forward, located at 2217 E. 6th St. in Long Beach. Organizers have intentionally designed the session to center around active community participation and collaborative dialogue rather than traditional, one-way presentations. By bringing together the people most directly impacted by public education policies—namely local parents, primary caregivers, and invested community members—the event aims to translate historical policy data into actionable strategies for the future.
At the core of Friday’s discussion will be the findings and implications of CDF-CA’s landmark publication, “Rooted in Community, Rising Together: A Decade of Advocacy and Partnership in Long Beach.” Originally released in July, the report serves as a rigorous documentation of more than ten years of sustained education equity advocacy across the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD). More than just a retrospective analysis, the document has been framed by its creators as a practical blueprint for residents throughout Southern California and beyond, offering proven frameworks on how communities can successfully organize to achieve systemic institutional reforms that genuinely improve the well-being, safety, and academic success of local youth.
The upcoming forum is expected to provide attendees with an accessible, plain-language walkthrough of the complex data housed within the report. Rather than overwhelming participants with dense bureaucratic metrics, the agenda focuses on breaking down critical educational metrics and ongoing district initiatives. Key areas of focus during the afternoon session will include detailed examinations of historical and current trends in school discipline, persistent achievement gaps that affect marginalized student populations, and the specific academic and social outcomes experienced by English learners navigating the public school system.
Furthermore, the discussion will dive deeply into major district-level initiatives that have shaped the educational landscape of Long Beach over the past decade. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the implementation and ongoing evolution of the Black Student Achievement Initiative, as well as the objectives and community impact of the SaferLBUSD campaign. These initiatives represent crucial battlegrounds where grassroots advocacy has historically intersected with institutional policymaking, making the lessons learned from their implementation invaluable for the next generation of community leaders.
The decision to host the forum at the offices of Long Beach Forward underscores the collaborative nature of the advocacy work being celebrated and continued. Long Beach Forward has long served as a vital hub for grassroots organizing and community empowerment in the area, aligning closely with CDF-CA’s mission to champion policies and programs that ensure every child has a fair and healthy start in life, a successful transition to adulthood, and a secure foundation of support from family and community.
Media representatives and interested community members seeking further details regarding the event or wishing to connect with organizers can reach out directly to John Henry, Media Relations Manager for the Children’s Defense Fund-California, via email at [email protected] or by telephone at 708-646-7679. Additional background information, alongside the full text of the foundational report, remains publicly accessible through the organizational channels of the Children’s Defense Fund-California for those wishing to review the material prior to Friday’s afternoon gathering.
