The Committee for Racial Justice (CRJ) will hold a community forum for candidates running for Santa Monica’s College Board of Trustees, SMMUSD School Board, and Santa Monica City Council at the Church in Ocean Park, 235 Hill Street, Santa Monica on Sunday, Oct. 19 from 4 pm to 8 pm.
Refreshments will be provided.
The candidates forum schedule is as follows:
4 pm: Santa Monica College Trustees
5 pm: SMMUSD School Board
6:30 pm: City Council
The forum, moderated by college professor and psychologist Karen Gunn, will focus on concerns of residents, such as, educating the culturally-diverse students of SMMUSD and SMCC, addressing the commercial growth in historical neighborhoods, homelessness, and pubic safety’s response to the city’s diverse community.
Additional parking will be available at the 2802 4th Street lot.
“It’s our goal as an organization to provide Santa Monica residents with as much information as possible in order for them to make informed decisions on issues critical to their daily lives,” said convener Joanne Berlin. “Residents want to know the candidates’ opinions on how growth in the city will affect the working and middle class. They want to know how the candidates, if elected, will address the educational achievement gap and help increase harmony on Santa Monica school campuses. We want to ask the candidates what they will do, as officials, to work with public safety officers to improve their response to the needs of our communities of color.”
The Committee for Racial Justice is a non-partisan group focused on supporting residents in addressing the needs of our communities through collaboration, communication, and education.
The group was originally formed in August 2011 by a core group of parents, neighbors, and community leaders in Santa Monica.
For more information, contact Joanne Berlin at 310.422.5431.
