The Advocate

(Image credit: City of Long Beach ) We have over 400 unhoused San Leandrans, many of whom live in their vehicles — trailers, RVs, trucks, or even sedans and SUVs. If complaints from residents are any indication, many of our neighbors are parking their vehicles at the Marina and other mostly empty large parking lots. The results are difficult but unsurprising, with trash, waste, and domestic disturbances. Meanwhile, SLPD has stepped up enforcement efforts without thought for the fact that these members of our community cannot afford the fines or arrests and, more importantly, they have nowhere to go. But there's a solution we can take that might alleviate this problem without undue COVID-19 risks: safe parking programs. As these individuals and families work to lift themselves up out of a difficult situation, many are making daily and nightly choices between having a safe space to sleep and crippling penalties just for existing. Creating further barriers to stability are the isolati...

"Blewish, an animated short film based on true events about a Black and Jewish boy named Ezra, is premiering at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival! Writer and director Ezra Edmond hopes that Blewish will be watched alongside children who can see themselves represented in the character's journey to find belonging. Once you purchase a screening ticket, you will have from November 5 to November 14 to watch." As a parent in an interracial interfaith family with two Blewish daughters, this is the kind of content I love to see and want to see more of. As we know, representation matters and it's especially crucial to highlight the voices of those from historically marginalized communities - including those already within historically marginalized communities! Particularly when we explore them from the perspective of children. Those are the stories that captivate, that capture our imaginations while introducing us to a wider world we may never have known ...