VISION
California is like no other state in the country. We are the most populous in the nation, the 5th largest economy in the world and home to a global community. We are a place of opportunity, ingenuity and forward thinking. What defines California most is its people - the small mom and pop business owners who make up the backbone of our local economies, the farm workers who fuel our agricultural industry and feed our nation, the engineers, scientists and tech workers who drive our information technology sector and the artists, writers and performers who are the heart of a global cultural center. WE are California.
While there may be many differences among Californians, we all want the same things: a good life, a well-paying job, a quality education for our kids, a place to call home, and safety for our families and communities. And no matter if our ancestors are indigenous to this land or made the journey from other places, we believe we are all deserving of these things. We reach across differences; we pull together in times of crises; we look out for our neighbors; and create communities where we all belong, thrive, and have the freedom to create our futures. This is what defines us as Californians.
CONTEXT
Over the last 60 years, our neighbors and communities have come together to build power, create programs and deliver services to ensure a brighter future for everyone. Our belief in a California for all inspired us to fight for policies that protect immigrants, prioritize treatment over prison, increase wages, improve education, build more affordable homes, protect our environment, and provide quality healthcare to all. We have won some, we have lost some, and all in all we have moved closer to a vision of California for all.
Right now there are powerful corporate billionaires, opportunistic politicians and other dangerous authoritarian forces who see Californians as a threat. They attack our way of life, our values of inclusion and community that we represent and the progress we have made to build a stronger, more inclusive economy and democracy. They hope to divide us, pitting neighbor against neighbor, and obscure the real cause of challenges we face across our state - policies driven by greedy corporate billionaires who want to get even wealthier off our backs.They want to stop our progress in order to maintain wealth and power for the small elites, taking us back to a time of racial violence and hierarchy.
We've demonstrated that working together for the common good can win reforms, policies, and laws that strengthen our democracy and leave no one behind. We’ve seen what is possible when Californians come together and when we are welcoming, collaborative, and inclusive. When we take care of each other, support working families, create safe neighborhoods, protect the environment, and ensure the dignity of all people regardless of race, class, age, gender or who we love, we all thrive. California works best when it works for all of us.
CALL TO ACTION
Our country is at a crossroads - wrestling and debating who belongs, who matters, who should have access to opportunity. Authoritarian leaders across the country have turned our state into a leading character in their story of division and exclusion. While they point to our way of welcoming, openness, and connection as a driver of problems, WE know better. We know our values are part of the solution and the way forward.
It is time for us to be bolder. And it is time for us to come together now more than ever.
Our bold actions have delivered on parts of our vision for the California we all want and deserve. But we need even bolder action in this moment to stem the tide of greedy corporations and their puppet politicians who see us, our state, our neighbors, and our homes only as potential profits for their pockets. We must unite across differences and model for the rest of the country what it means to love our neighbors, ensure the safety and success of our children, and care for our common home. We must embrace our greatest strengths – ourselves and who we are as Californians - to continue building a California for all. We can raise the hopes of our state, and our children can dream even higher. We are doubling down on our faith in something bigger than ourselves, on a vision for our state as a beacon for a better future and the people we are fighting for (with?).
IDENTITY
Who we are fighting for matters and who we are building with matters, too! We envision a California where everyone belongs because there is room for all of us. We need a multi-racial, multi-generational, multi-issue movement that walks proudly, speaks boldly, and stands unified in building the California we all dream of and want to live in. We are not the movement of the left. We are the movement at the front. We are building a California where everyone belongs, where everyone is safe, where everyone can afford to live, where everyone thrives and where everyone contributes! WE ARE CALIFORNIA!