LONG BEACH, CA — In a milestone moment for regional child advocacy, the Children’s Defense Fund-California (CDF-CA) is releasing a comprehensive new report examining a decade of grassroots organizing, policy victories, and community-driven strategies designed to elevate the well-being of youth and families in Long Beach.
The publication, titled “Rooted in Community, Rising Together: A Decade of Advocacy and Partnership in Long Beach,” serves as a practical blueprint not only for residents of Long Beach but for communities across Southern California seeking to build lasting political power and achieve systemic reform. The document details how local stakeholders can effectively leverage practical tools—such as public records requests and public testimony—to demand accountability, influence public policy, and secure a brighter future for the region’s younger generations.
To mark the release of the report, CDF-CA is hosting a public community gathering and launch event on Thursday, July 23, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM PST. The gathering will take place at Georgia’s Restaurant, located within the Long Beach Exchange at 4101 McGowen Street. The event is designed to bring together a diverse coalition of local stakeholders, including policymakers, community partners, local families, and participating youth from Civility Development Inc.’s Long Beach-based CDF Freedom Schools site. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions regarding the report’s core findings and explore collective pathways toward strengthening support systems for local families.
The release comes at a critical time when investments in children and family support systems continue to face fiscal and political pressures at every level of government. According to organizers, Long Beach serves as a powerful model of what can be accomplished when advocacy is rooted directly in the lived experiences of the community.
“We’re hosting this event because the work documented in the report was never ours alone,” said CDF-CA Policy Associate Ryan Bell. “It was built by the community, and this gathering is an opportunity to honor that history, celebrate what has been achieved, and recommit collectively to what still needs to be done. At a time when public investment in children and families continues to face pressure at every level, Long Beach stands as a model of what community-driven advocacy can produce, and this event is a chance to share that story with a broader audience.”
For more than ten years, CDF-CA has collaborated closely with local leaders, parents, and youth in Long Beach to address some of the most pressing systemic challenges facing the community. These efforts have heavily focused on advancing educational equity, disrupting the damaging school-to-prison pipeline, and strengthening grassroots leadership within the city. The newly released report captures these historic campaigns, featuring firsthand accounts, testimonies, and perspectives from Long Beach residents and parents who have been on the front lines of the movement.
The report also underscores the vital importance of organizational partnerships in amplifying the impact of individual changemakers. By pooling resources, sharing knowledge, and uniting diverse community voices, local advocates have been able to influence legislative agendas and secure tangible improvements in neighborhood infrastructure and youth services.
CDF-CA State Director Jaren Sorkow emphasized that the upcoming community gathering is intended to reflect the broad coalition of individuals who contributed to the report’s creation and substance.
“This gathering will include a broad table of perspective, reflecting the wide range of people who have been part of this work and whose voices are represented in the report itself,” Sorkow stated. “Our goal is for attendees to be informed about what has been accomplished in Long Beach and energized about what comes next.”
The event is open to community members, local leaders, and media personnel interested in child advocacy, civic engagement, and social justice.
Founded in 1973, the Children’s Defense Fund envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being, and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. As the only national, multi-issue advocacy organization working directly at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice, CDF works to advance the interests of America’s most diverse generation—the 74 million children and youth under the age of 18, along with 30 million young adults under the age of 25. Through grassroots movements in marginalized communities, the organization builds sustained political power for child-centered public policy informed by racial equity. Its renowned CDF Freedom Schools program continues to operate in nearly 100 cities across 30 states and territories, providing essential educational and cultural enrichment for children nationwide.
