September 2021

By Melissa Montalvo, Cal Matters, September 2, 2021 Leaders from a newly formed revitalization task force joined California State Parks representatives last week in announcing a partnership to honor a piece of California Black history in the Central Valley. Randall Cooper, chief executive officer of the Global Economic Impact Group, which will lead revitalization effort, said the once-prosperous community of Allensworth was devastated by a series of racist decisions and policies and never...

It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that I have accepted the position at PACEsConnection as their full time Trauma-Informed Education Consultant. I have been with PACEsConnection since 2018 in the role of Community Facilitator, supporting cross-sector resilience initiatives in Southern California, managing the PACEs in Education site, and tending to education related topics as time allowed. The dream has always been, even before I started working here in an official role, to have...

PACEs Connection members are encouraged to join as many communities as they are interested in. Keep scrolling to find our list of geographic communities to join your local, state, or country community! Interest Based: PACEs Connection Community Champions, Facilitators, and Managers (for Community Managers only) PACEs Connection Cooperative of Communities (for coop affiliates only) 16 Strong Project ACEs Connection for Birth Workers ACEs in the Criminal Justice System ACEs in Youth Justice...

By Sara Kassabian, The Oaklandside, August 27, 2021 Every night, Guadalupe Muñoz lays awake listening to her 7-year-old daughter Carla breathe. If she hears a whistling in Carla’s chest, she knows an asthma attack is imminent. Muñoz, who works in housekeeping at a local hotel, lives in a two-bedroom apartment with her two daughters in Oakland’s Seminary neighborhood. In an interview conducted in Spanish, Muñoz said she is certain it is her home that is causing her youngest daughter to suffer...

By Elaine Batchlor, The Atlantic, September 1, 2021 Months of cajoling and pressure haven’t worked. Neither has bringing home the COVID-19 vaccine and offering to administer it myself. I got my own vaccine as soon as I could—as did my husband and sons—with little to no side effects. Yet my mother, a 93-year-old Black woman, still won’t get vaccinated. Her excuses vary. One day she’ll insist, “I don’t know what’s in it,” even though I’ve explained it to her in detail. Another day: “I already...

It might seem odd that President Theodore Roosevelt, who was described as “aggressive,” ”over-engined” and had a talent for delivering insults, would be hailed as a proponent of nurturing relationships. But that’s exactly how Dr. Andrew Garner referenced him in describing a paradigm shift in policy by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “They don’t care what you know until they know that you care,’” said Garner, referring to a quote often attributed to Roosevelt. Garner , who is a...

When thinking about the start of yet another unpredictable and unprecedented school year, the word that keeps repeating itself in my head is “grace.” The dictionary defines grace as “a disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency.” Kindness, compassion, lenience, and mercy. Grace for the educators and all student support staff, grace for our administrators. Grace for our youth, grace for our families, grace for the school board members and policy makers. Our own...

PACEs Connection's Race & Equity Workgroup is examining historical trauma in the United States of America and its impact on American society in a series of virtual discussions. This series, which began in July 2021, highlights each unique region within the United States and outlines how unresolved historical trauma has impacted every aspect of American life and directly shapes the socio-political landscape of today as well as the overall well-being of Americans. The purpose of these...

By Celia Jiménez, Monterey County Weekly, August 31, 2021 Everything from how to use a tool to installing drywall has been part of the curriculum for students in the construction academy at Rancho Cielo in Salinas. The nonprofit provides a high school diploma program and vocational training for real-life job skills to young adults ages 16 to 24, in lieu of a traditional academic program. The construction academy has evolved over the years with the building of transitional housing, a solar...