Month: September 2016

UC Expands Enrollment Opportunities for Underserved Californians

by Peter Schurmann | Posted September 23, 2016
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OAKLAND, Calif. – November 1 marks the start of the month-long application season for the University of California. And the administration is determined to build on its momentum in expanding enrollment for California’s diverse communities.

That was the message from UC President Janet Napolitano, who spoke at a recent briefing for Bay Area ethnic media.

Napolitano began the briefing by reminding reporters that applicants to the 9-campus system would for the first time be allowed to use previous year tax filings to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA form.

“For many families, FAFSA is the gateway to financial aid,” said Napolitano, noting the change is particularly important for first generation college students and their families who may be less familiar with the college application process. read more

North State Residents Rally on Day of International Protest

Tribal Members Lead with Traditional Prayers in Support of Dakota Movement
by Leslie Layton | Posted September 14, 2016
Ben Gray Eagle


photo by Karen Laslo

Ben Gray Eagle from Yuba City plays the Bear Flute at the Chico rally. Gray Eagle pointed out that the Obama Administration’s intervention hasn’t stopped work on the Dakota Pipeline or the destruction of sacred sites.


When Chico’s Jake Davis announced a City Plaza rally to show support for the indigenous groups trying to stop construction of a North Dakota pipeline, he feared only half a dozen people would show up.
Davis, co-founder of Chico350 – the international organization 350.org fights for clean energy and other measures to slow climate change – knows how hard it is to organize climate-justice protests outside of large cities. But what happened Sept. 13 at City Plaza was surprising and moving.

Almost 200 people showed up for the late afternoon rally, including members of tribes who live in Chico, Oroville, Corning, near the California coast and the state border with Nevada. Internationally, it was a day of protest in support of the #NoDAPL movement trying to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) that cuts across indigenous burial grounds, tribal sacred sites and underneath the Missouri River. “This ended up becoming a chance for indigenous people to have a voice,” Davis said Tuesday. “We thought it was just about stopping a pipeline, but it’s a lot bigger than that now. It’s bigger than Native or non-Native.” read more