By Dianne Anderson

Racists in high places may be loud and obnoxious, stirring up fear and bigotry everywhere, but local organizers are fighting back harder and smarter, fixing the system from the inside out.

Coming up, the 6th Annual Inland Empire Antiracist Summit keeps the regional push on anti-racist action with Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson headlining the event on how the IE pushes back against hate.

“I am eager to engage in dialogue that will further our community’s efforts in combating hate in the Inland Empire and across California. Together, let’s unite to amplify our voices and take decisive action against hate,” said Dr. Jackson, chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Racism, Hate, and Xenophobia.

Through the committee, his recent legislative package targets gaps in enforcement and workplace protections, including AB 2347 and AB 1803. On his Assembly website, he connects that work to the broader concern about how language drives harm.

From the Commission on Hate, he said they have learned there’s a direct correlation between what elected officials say about people in the state of California and in this nation, and how they are treated in society.

Beyond words, he said that addressing hate requires coordination and accountability, as the summit brings people together to act now with the policy package to make sure that action is built to last.

“We must have each other’s back,” he said. “In other words, while this administration criminalizes, targets, attacks, erases, and dehumanizes our brothers and sisters, whoever they may be, this legislature, this state, and this committee will lift them up so their voices and their humanity can be heard.”

Hosted by the Center Against Racism and Trauma (CART), the event highlights the organization’s work to “unshackle” Inland Empire systems from their racist and discriminative roots.

Early on, Janice Rooths joined the team before taking the helm at CART in 2022, where she keeps the work aligned with Jackson’s legislative push, along with advocacy and hands-on systems change.

At the summit, Jackson is expected to update the community on his legislative agenda and ongoing work in the Assembly Select Committee on Racism, Hate, and Xenophobia. Since elected in 2022, he has introduced more than a dozen bills focused on civil rights protections, hate crime prevention, and systemic inequities.

“He’s going to talk about all the things he’s done before he even got to the legislature and once in the legislature to impact racism. He is totally focused,” said Rooths, executive director of CART.

Between civic movement, cultural, and institutional spaces, Rooths also co-leads Antiracist Riverside, serves as president of the Black Arts Museum, and participates in the Riverside Mayor’s Bipartisan Forum.

Youth programming is a big focus. At CART, youth speak publicly, engage civic processes, use spoken word, dance, and visual expression as tools for advocacy. The goal is to build confidence in civics, and in spaces where traditional policy language often falls short.

CART’s Changers Leadership Institute also partners with organizations such as the Civil Rights Institute for civic engagement through arts-based programming to help counter the hate.

This year, Rooths said the goal is on organizing, legislative advocacy, court-based action, and grassroots mobilizing.

Through their program Youth Power Collective, student-led teams take on direct civic action. Last month, she said students met with a San Bernardino County deputy district attorney about transportation concerns, and a former Perris City Council member to discuss civic access and local infrastructure.

But their work faces hurdles. Funding is unstable, and bad timing on public meetings makes it harder for residents to do their civic duty.

“There is no place focused on youth spaces and talked a little bit of transportation issues. Many of them have gotten into youth leadership programs at the Civil Rights Institute, they have to take the train and bus to get here and back,” she said.

Programming is designed not just for awareness of policy debates, but active participation. Last June, their seven-day CART camp at UCR facilities merged racial equity training, Oakland-style organizing, and local artist sessions that turned passion into posters, spoken word, or interpretive dance.

“They got up each group or person to really start them understanding, how do I get my point across that what I care about is really important,” she said.

Ongoing civic involvement, especially since young people face many barriers in accessing organizing spaces, is a key focus. CART also partners with local organizations on voter awareness, including a COPE-funded effort tied to Proposition 50 outreach last November.

For Rooths, it all comes down to staying in the fight, expanding access, and keeping youth engaged. She said CART’s work reflects a long commitment to policy development, and equity work must continue despite any political backlash.

“Sometimes certain things need to be said. If I need to talk about race I’m going to talk about race upfront and straightforward. But if the issue is disproportionately impacting us and everyone else, I frame it that way. From my perspective racism hurts everybody,” she said.

For more information, see:

Assemblymember Dr. Corey A. Jackson at https://jackson.asmdc.org

CART (Center Against Racism & Trauma) at https://www.destroyracism.org

Antiracist Riverside at https://www.antiracistriverside.com

6th Annual IE Antiracist Summit at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6th-annual-inland-empire-antiracist-summit-tickets-1985722454315