Bay Area
Ask Congressman Jim Clyburn
It’s a fast-moving Democratic presidential primary. As of the writing of this piece, it’s a two-man race, Biden and Sanders.
Congressman Jim Clyburn is a revered figure in South Carolina politics and the House Majority Whip who resurrected Joe Biden’s faltering campaign with his endorsement. Congressman Clyburn, the kingmaker, united the Black vote in a surge that swept the American south and signaled Super Tuesday voters across the country to rally around Biden as their front runner. Historians and political pundits are calling it one of the most significant turn of events in American politics — ever.
As a lifelong Democrat and former political appointee in California’s state government, I maintain at least one eye on our political escapes, especially as it pertains to Black education. A part of Joe Biden’s work in this political moment is to not only collect endorsements from his moderate challengers who dropped from the race clearing the field for him, but also to win over their voters. When it comes to Black education, Biden must beware of the path of Bernie Sanders and remember his Obama roots.
Sanders wants to take away federal funding from charter schools. Sanders said he wants a moratorium on charter schools in order to align with national teacher’s unions who want to run charter schools out of town on a rail because most are non-union.
President Obama supported education reform because he understood just how underserved Black students are in American schools. It’s a crisis that is accepted as a fact of life by far too many Democratic politicians. The Obama-Biden Administration expanded public charter schools with the support of federal funding and policy. Sure Obama had the endorsement of teacher’s unions, but he also held them accountable. Joe Biden should do the same.
In California, more than 600,000 school children attend public charter schools. California has the largest number of charter schools in the country — all are non-profit, held to higher standards of fiscal and academic transparency and accountability than district-run public schools and are authorized by elected public school boards. Black students are represented at higher proportions in charter schools than in district-run schools in the Golden State. This is true because Black parents are choosing public charter schools for their children.
Now is a time to build coalitions and leave the progressive purity tests in the rearview mirror. In addition to his endorsement, Congressman Clyburn has been a source of practical campaign advice. It is well worth returning to Clyburn’s well of wisdom. If Joe needs help on how to broker the peace in the education wars, ask Congressman Clyburn.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Margaret Fortune is the President/CEO of Fortune School, a network of K-12 public charter schools in Sacramento, California she founded to close the African American achievement gap in her hometown. Dr. Fortune has been an education adviser to two California Governors. She is secretary-treasurer of California State National Action Network, a national civil rights organization.
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Oakland Post: Week of May 7 – 13, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 7 – 13, 2025
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Oakland Post: Week of April 30 – May 6, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 30 – May 6, 2025
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Asm. Corey Jackson Proposes Safe Parking for Homeless College Students Sleeping in Cars
Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), is the author of AB 90, which would require community colleges and California State University campuses to create overnight parking programs where students can sleep safely in their vehicles. With one in four community college students in California experiencing homelessness in the past year, Jackson says the state must act urgently.
By Bo Tefu
California Black Media
As California’s housing crisis continues to impact students, new legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 90, promises to allow college students without stable housing to sleep in their cars on campus, offering a stark but practical solution aimed at immediate relief.
Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), is the author of AB 90, which would require community colleges and California State University campuses to create overnight parking programs where students can sleep safely in their vehicles. With one in four community college students in California experiencing homelessness in the past year, Jackson says the state must act urgently.
“This just deals with the harsh realities that we find ourselves in,” he said at a recent hearing.
The bill passed its first committee vote and is gaining attention as housing affordability remains a top concern across the state. California rents are more than 30% above the national average, and long waitlists for student housing have left thousands in limbo. CSU reported more than 4,000 students on its housing waitlist last year.
Supporters stress that the bill is not a long-term solution, but a humane step toward helping students who have no other place to go. A successful pilot program at Long Beach City College has already shown that safe, supervised overnight parking can work, giving students access to restrooms, Wi-Fi, and a secure environment.
However, the CSU and community college systems oppose the bill, citing funding concerns. Critics also worry about safety and oversight. But Jackson and student advocates argue the crisis demands bold action.
“If we know students are already sleeping in their cars, why not help them do it safely?” said Ivan Hernandez, president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.
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