California partners with ‘Decolonizing Wealth Project’ + Crime trends in California
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
CALIFORNIA PARTNERS WITH ‘DECOLONIZING WEALTH PROJECT’
On the heels of his proclamation marking Monday as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state will be partnering with the Decolonizing Wealth Project to spur philanthropic giving in support of the California Truth & Healing Council.
“As we honor the perseverance, rich diversity and contributions of all Indigenous peoples today, California is advancing our commitment to collaborating with tribal communities throughout the state to make real the promise of a California for all,” Newsom said in a statement. “This new partnership will expand the administration’s efforts to engage Native American families in the important dialogue created by the Truth & Healing Council, helping to build bridges and begin healing deep wounds.”
The California Truth & Healing Council was established in 2019 as a means for California’s Native American tribes to “clarify the record” on “the troubled relationship between Native peoples and the state in the spirit of truth and healing,” according to a statement from the governor’s office. The council is led by Newsom’s tribal adviser and includes representatives from Native American tribes across the state.
The council officially launched in December 2020 and is set to produce a final report by Jan. 1, 2025.
As for the Decolonizing Wealth Project, according to its website, the project is dedicated to “bring(ing) forth truth, reconciliation, and the healing of our global family from the ails of colonization through education, radical reparative giving, and storytelling.”
That includes steering more philanthropic dollars to Black and Indigenous communities.
The project was founded by Edgar Villanueva, a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.
“Decolonizing Wealth Project is excited to amplify the work of the Council and California’s Native American tribal leaders,” Villanueva said in a statement. “By helping to raise awareness among Californians and the philanthropic community to advocate for truth and reconciliation, it is our hope that the reparative efforts being put forth by the council will one day be replicated on a national level. Especially on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we as a nation can only get to a state of reconciliation when we are able to reflect on and acknowledge America’s history of oppression and erasure of Indigenous communities.”
CALIFORNIA CRIME TRENDS MIRROR NATIONAL TRENDS
Is crime really up these days?
Yes and no.
The Public Policy Institute of California analyzed the FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report statistics and found that California has largely mirrored national trends, with some exceptions.
For example, while violent crime ticked slightly upward in 2020 nationwide, it was actually down somewhat in California.
“Today, while the state’s violent crime rate is still above the national rate, the gap has dropped by half, from about 20% higher in California to 10% higher. Both California’s and the nation’s violent crime rates are now roughly where they were a decade ago,” according to a PPIC blog post.
However, both in California and nationwide, homicides have seen a sharp increase.
In California, the number of homicides has jumped 30%, matching the national increase. According to the PPIC, this is the largest increase since reliable record keeping began in 1960. California’s homicide rate is actually 11% below what it was in 2000 (from 6.1 homicides per 100,000 residents to 5.4).
California, and the nation, also saw a drop in property crimes.
“While California’s property crime rate is now significantly below what it was in 2000, down by 32%, this is less than the nationwide drop of about 50%. This is due to statewide increases in 2012 and 2015, while the nation has seen drops every year since 2001. As a result, since 2015, California’s property crime rate has been about 6% higher than the nationwide rate,” according to the PPIC.
The PPIC points out that there has been no research to date on whether California’s many criminal justice reform laws have had an impact on violent crime in the state, though they have been found to be contributing factors in the temporary increases of auto theft and larceny, the PPIC said.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
A two-fer for today:
“California mandates gender-neutral toy aisles for large retailers. Not in Texas. In Texas, it is businesses — NOT government — that decide how they display their merchandise.”
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, via Twitter.
“Hey, @GregAbbott_TX. You know what is NOT government’s role?
1. Attacking women’s access to health care. California believes women should have control of their bodies.
2. Passing laws that discriminate against LGBTQ people. CA is diverse & inclusive.
3. Making it harder to vote”
- Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell, author of the aforementioned gender-neutral retail bill, via Twitter.
Best of the Bee:
The state’s economy is losing more than $1 billion weekly — money that until recently was sent to millions of out-of-work Californians — because of last month’s expiration of federal unemployment benefits that were available during the COVID pandemic, via David Lightman.
Many Latino Californians waited to get a COVID vaccine. Why they’re rolling up their sleeves, via Kim Bojórquez.
Biden’s spending plan has big income tax changes. Here are the Californians who would benefit, via David Lightman