Resolutions

Right-Wing School Boards’ Attack on the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQIA+ Communities

WHEREAS, school boards such as the Temecula Valley Unified School Board, the Chino Valley Unified School Board, and the Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School Board have attempted to erase African American, Native American, Asian American, Latino, Women’s, and LGBTQIA+ history under the guise of a K-12 Ban on Critical Race Theory, an academic concept taught to law students, not to school children; and

WHEREAS, ‘Anti-Critical Race Theory’ (‘Anti-CRT’) and Don’t Say Gay’ activists around the country have banned books like “Ruby Bridges Goes to School,” “The March on Washington,” “Kite Runner,” “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag” and even books about menstruation like, “Go with the Flow”; and

WHEREAS, “Parent Revolt,” a project of the California Republican Party, is focused on recruiting Republican candidates to run for school boards to conduct similar bans in 10,000 California schools serving 9 million children (mostly children of color);

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Riverside County Democratic Party opposes Republican efforts to use school boards as a platform to promote homophobic ‘Don’t Say Gay’ restrictions and alternative facts about systemic racism; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Riverside County Democratic Party supports diversity, equity, inclusion, culturally responsive teaching, and anti-bias and anti-racism initiatives in schools to build a more equitable future.

Author(s): Dr. Jenn Carson, DSW, AD-61
Sponsored By: Riverside County Democratic Party

Resolution In Support Of Investigating, Imposing A Code Of Ethics, And Expanding The Number Of Justices On The U.S. Supreme Court

WHEREAS the United States Supreme Court has issued a series of regressive rulings rolling back fundamental constitutional protections by overturning Roe vs. Wade, ending affirmative action, limiting protections for LGBTQ people, undermining voting rights, gutting environmental regulations to combat climate change, ruling reasonable gun laws unconstitutional, eliminating debt relief for college students, and elevating religious beliefs and rights above all others; and

WHEREAS the current composition of the court is rife with corruption with some justices accepting lavish gifts and other forms of renumeration while failing to disclose associated conflicts involving individuals with cases before the court and refusing to follow the code of ethics imposed upon all other federal justices; and

WHEREAS justices appointed to the Supreme Court are appointed for life and the current Supreme Court has a super-majority of relatively young fundamentalist Christian conservative justices out of touch with the beliefs of the vast majority of the American public, which means our fundamental rights will continue to be eroded for decades before new progressive justices can be appointed;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party urges the U.S. Congress to use its constitutional powers to rein in the U.S. Supreme Court by undertaking investigations, enforcing a code of judicial ethics, and expanding the number of justices to balance and restore the Supreme Court; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party shall transmit a copy of this resolution to all California Democrats in the US Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the Chair of the Democratic National Committee and to the President of the United States.

Author(s): Lanny Swerdlow, RN LNC – AD 47

Sponsored by: Riverside County Democratic Party

Supporter(s): CDP Region 12 Caucus

Continue Efforts To Increase Racial Diversity After Affirmative Action Was Ended By The U.S. Supreme Court

WHEREAS the mostly white, conservative portion of the United States Supreme Court overturned Affirmative Action in college admissions on June 29, 2023; and

WHEREAS evidence indicates that Affirmative Action helped increase racial diversity in higher education and that its discontinuance in California’s institutions of higher education has resulted in lowered diversity in those institutions; and

WHEREAS historically, due to structural and institutional racism, schools have been an integral part of discrimination against people of color, and with the decimation of affirmative action they will have more freedom to do so again;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Riverside County Democratic Party (RCDP) supports the increase of racial diversity in all schools, to encompass K-12 and Higher Education because diversity makes us stronger; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Riverside County Democratic Party (RCDP) will support policies that increase racial diversity in all of its involvements and activities because RCDP knows that in a democracy diverse voices and perspectives improve the quality of life of all citizens.

Author(s): Sylvia Carrillo, AD 47

Sponsored By: Riverside County Democratic Party

Supporter(s): CDP Region 12 Caucus