Tag Archives: Stephon Clark

Bolstering Employment

Employment, , , ,

The city of Sacramento has taken a variety of initiatives recently in order to bolster employment opportunities.  Here we look at three examples.

The first, is a collaboration between UC Davis and Kindred Healthcare.  An additional hospital will be built at the downtown campus area.  Its main goal is to offer additional impatient rehab services in the area.  But the result will be the creation of an additional 200 jobs.  As well care will become more convenient for patients and their families and treatment availability for the neurological needs of the community will be doubled.

The second is the construction of an aerial target drone.  This will bring 20 to 50 jobs annually for many decades. So far, 50 jobs have been added for work needed on the first part of new drone contract production. The contract was received from the US Navy and has been valued at $37 million.

Following the tragic murder of Stephon Clark earlier this year, one step that is being taken is gang prevention.  To accomplish this, job creation is key as one part of investment in the neighborhood.  One of the key focuses of the Black Child Legacy Campaign is youth employment.  This initiative – a combined effort between the Sierra Health Foundation, 7 target neighborhoods where black kids die more than twice the rate of their white peers, the county and city.   The Sacramento Kings are also lending their support. According to director of Research and Policy for Equity at UC Davis Vajra Watson:

“The only way to expand what it is that young people conceive of for their future is to get them more opportunities to see new places, meet new people, and dream bigger than their parents have dreamed.”

As such, Sacramento is distributing $900,000+ in funding to groups offering entrepreneurial opportunities in low income neighborhoods. The hope is to create 500 new jobs this year.

Sac City Council: Post Clark Shooting

Community, , ,

Following the shooting by local police officers of Stephon Clark, the Sacramento City Council has taken action.  One possibility currently being debated is the prohibition against entrance of “abusive/threatening” protestors in all council meetings. Tension has risen since the shooting and activists have had to be accompanied out of meetings.

Quite simply, Councilman Steve Hansen said to one such activist: “Because you broke our laws we are asking you to leave.”  Some speakers have claimed that what has transpired in these meetings is not only “unfair,” but actually even illegal.

The establishment of Black Lives Matter occurred five years ago.  A “cease and desist” order was submitted to the council by Ben DeBerry for Brown Act violations protecting the public’s right to participate in council meetings.  On March 22, a protest was held at Evergreen State College and further events have been planned on the matter of inclusion and the problem of racism on campus as a response to the cancellation of this year’s “Day of Absence.”