California Senator Kamala Harris was among the speakers on Thursday, October 12, at an all-day conference in downtown Stockton, an event that aims to bring together San Joaquin Valley cities from Stockton south to Bakersfield to address the region’s challenges.  According to a media release, San Joaquin Valley cities often are overlooked by state policymakers and the purpose of Thursday’s conference was to bring regional leaders together to begin to create a unified policy platform addressing health issues, the economy, education and public safety.  Data from two research reports

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program received a lot of support at a farm bill listening session held in Modesto, California, as hunger advocates and academics from the state's Central Valley urged House lawmakers to protect and even expand the program to benefit families, food banks, farmers markets and California fruit and vegetable growers... Denise Hunt, a registered nurse and representative on the Stanislaus County Children and Families Commission, cited data showing high rates of children in poverty on the San Joaquin Valley.

When the U.S. Fair Housing Act was enacted in 1968, the goal was clear: protect home buyers and renters from unjust discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Yet, now, nearly 50 years later, racial and economic segregation remain entrenched at the local, regional, state, and national level.