Encinitas Advocate (encinitasadvocate.com) August 10, 2021

Encinitas4Equality Holds Summer Fundraiser

Encinitas4Equality, a grassroots organization aiming to work in allyship with the BIPOC community in North County, held its summer “FUNdraiser” Aug. 9 at Viewpoint Brewing in Del Mar.

NBC 7 – San Diego (nbcsandiego.com) July 22, 2021

Planting Hope: San Diego County Nonprofits Collaborate for Better, Healthier Future

With the sun beating at her back, Felicia Booker bent over and tended to a young, humble garden in Carlsbad. “Oh, my God, this is wonderful,” Booker said with a smile. Booker represents a group called Black Girls Who Garden, but they aren’t the only ones with their hands in the dirt. “We have to work together, otherwise we’re going to end up in the same position we’re in now 40 years from now,” said Mali Woods-Drake, president and co-founder of Encinitas4Equality.

KGTV – ABC10 News – San Diego (10news.com) July 2, 2021

New North County non-profit Encinitas-4-Equality hopes to be hub for activism

A new community garden in San Diego’s North County is more than just a place where fruits and vegetables will grow — it’s a resource hub to connect neighbors, activists, and volunteers. This week, the new nonprofit Encinitas4Equality held one of its first events since opening its new space off North Coast Highway.

Encinitas Advocate (encinitasadvocate.com) April 26, 2021

Encinitas4Equality receives nonprofit status

The effective date of the organization’s nonprofit status is July 24, 2020, enabling tax-exempt donations made from that date forward. For filing, Encinitas 4 Equality’s employer identification number (EIN) 85-2480044.

Encinitas Advocate (encinitasadvocate.com) April 22, 2021

Encinitas teen picked for Women of Impact award

Encinitas teen Joy Ruppert is set on doing her part to make the world a better place. For her that means helping end racism in all its forms. Already the 16-year-old has made her mark. Joy and classmate Aya Jaffer lead the youth committee of Encinitas4Equality, a group that fosters racial diversity and equity in Encinitas and neighboring communities.

Encinitas Advocate (encinitasadvocate.com) February 13, 2021

Encinitas to form committee to discuss diversity issues

In effort to make Encinitas a more welcoming place for all types of people, the city will form an Equity Committee to offer advice on a wide range of issues, the City Council unanimously decided Wednesday, Feb. 10. “I’m really looking forward to having these difficult conversations,” Hinze said, mentioning that she wants the group to build on the knowledge gained by the Encinitas4Equality community organization, which formed last year.

Encinitas Advocate (encinitasadvocate.com) February 13, 2021

Encinitas4Equality to hold virtual concert benefit

Encinitas4Equality, a grassroots organization that emerged in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, will host a virtual benefit concert in honor of Black History Month on Feb. 27 at 5:45 p.m. “This event is kind of the culmination of the last nine months while really taking time to celebrate how far we’ve come but still how much work we have to do,” said Mali Woods-Drake, an Encinitas4Equality co-founder. “For this event specifically, we were very intentional about making sure everyone that we’re partnering with are Black businesses, making sure we’re highlighting these Black businesses.” The concert will feature artists selected by SoFar Sounds, a company that provides more intimate, low-key concerts as well as virtual concerts for private parties.

Del Mar Times (delmartimes.net) January 20, 2021

Student group advocates for diversity, multiculturalism in SDUHSD schools

The local chapter of Diversify Our Narrative, a national student-led organization, has ambitious goals to make meaningful changes within their schools to promote diversity, inclusion, and educational equity. DON’s student-directed work was presented to the school board on Jan. 14 by San Dieguito High School Academy sophomores Joy Ruppert and Aya Jaffer, along with Canyon Crest Academy seniors Shiva Kansagara, Frances Chai, Ella Sobhani, Roxy Morris, Ema Nastic and Kylie Hayase. This effort was set in motion back in August when Joy and Aya, co-leaders of the Encinitas4Equality youth group, organized a protest in front of the district office to demand that the school board address racial inequities and diversity in the district at an upcoming board meeting.

Encinitas Advocate (encinitasadvocate.com) December 15, 2020

Encinitas4Equality begins second phase of Community Space and Black Collective initiative

Encinitas4Equality, a grassroots organization aiming to work in allyship with the BIPOC community in North County, announced recently that it has successfully completed phase one for its Community Space and Black Collective initiative at 414 North Coast Highway, fulfilling its lease set to end Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. As part of the phase two process for the Community Space and Black Collective initiative, Encinitas4Equality will relocate the retail space (new location to be announced at a later date) while continuing its online store at www.encinitas4equality.org and hosting a series of virtual experiences and workshops centered around allyship, housing, equity in education, public safety, youth and fundraising; in-person events and experiences will be hosted on-site at the new location.

ABC KGTV (10News.com) October 5, 2020

Encinitas collective supports Black-owned businesses

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A new collective in the the north county is dedicated to Black-owned business. The recently opened store was started by the organization “Encinitas4Equality” and features more than a dozen local retailers.

NBC 7, San Diego (nbcsandiego.com) September 24, 2020

Racial Equality Movement in Encinitas

Encinitas4Equality, a new North County-based nonprofit has officially opened its doors as a community gathering space and retail showcase for Black artists and businesses. NBC 7’s Jackie Crea has more.

Patch (patch.com), September 23, 2020

Encinitas4Equality opens community gathering space and Black Collective in Encinitas

Encinitas4Equality has officially opened its doors as a community gathering space and retail showcase for Black artists and businesses.

Encinitas Advocate (encinitasadvocate.com) September 22, 2020

Encinitas4Equality opens community gathering space and Black Collective in Encinitas

Encinitas4Equality (E4E), a new North County-based grassroots nonprofit, officially opened its doors last week to bring “a much-needed, safe gathering space and retail showcase for Black individuals and businesses,” according to a news release.

NBC 7, San Diego (nbcsandiego.com) September 21, 2020

Encinitas4Equality opens community gathering space and Black Collective in Encinitas

Encinitas4Equality, a new North County-based nonprofit, announced Monday it has officially opened its doors as a community gathering space and retail showcase for Black artists and businesses.

SDA Mustang Website (sdamustang.com), September 14, 2020;
Reprinted in the LA Times, HS Insider (highschool.latimes.co) September 15, 2020

Encinitas4Equality youth leaders insist on implementing race and equity education in SDUHSD

What began as nightly vigils and peaceful protests at the Cardiff Kook, Encinitas4Equality evolved into a nonprofit organization to support Black residents and address systemic racism.

KPBS (kpbs.org) September 15, 2020

Encinitas4Equality Strive To Empower Black Community In North County

A new organization supporting the Black community in North County officially opened its doors Tuesday. Encinitas4Equalitygives Black vendors space for their businesses and offers programs for underprivileged youth.

Coast News (thecoastnews.com) August 26, 2020

Encinitas concedes likely need for additional affordable housing sites

Based on initial development proposals, sites that Encinitas told the state could support affordable housing will produce many fewer affordable units than projected, despite likely yielding more units overall.

Del Mar Times (delmartimes.net) August 25, 2020

Students protest for San Dieguito to address racial inequities, inclusion

On Aug. 14, students and parents protested in front of San Dieguito Academy High School in Encinitas, demanding that the San Dieguito Union High School District listen to the voices of its community members and that racism, diversity and inclusion are made a priority by the school board.

FOX KSWB (fox5sandiego.com) August 15, 2020

North County students protest to demand racial equality

Students, parents and teachers gathered Friday at San Dieguito Academy to protest what organizers call the school board’s lack of action on concerns raised over social justice reforms. “We want them to make changes to the schools and their curriculum to be more inclusive and inviting to all cultures,” student Aya Jaffer said. Students shared stories of racist encounters with fellow students, including the use of incendiary language.

CBS KMFB (cbs8.com) August 14, 2020

Encinitas students protest alleged discrimination at high school district

Students are demanding that San Dieguito Union High School District create a more inclusive curriculum and more support for students. Organizers with the group, Equality4Encinitas, said they contacted the district numerous times since July, hoping to get this issue on the district board’s meeting agenda. They said they were told that due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there is no time to address their concerns.

San Diego Union tribune, August 9, 2020

Coronado schools face racial reckoning

School districts nationwide are being pressured to fix racial inequities. In Coronado, where nine out of 10 residents are White, 4,500 signed a petition.

“Colonial Day” is a long-running tradition in the Coronado Unified School District. Every January, fifth-graders dress in colonial garb and participate in activities like candle-making, cross-stitching and military drills, to learn what life was like prior to America’s founding. But it wasn’t fun for Mercedes Hayes. Hayes, now a 21-year-old bi-racial graduate from Coronado Unified, remembers wanting to stay home from school on Colonial Day. “I remember kids asking me if I was gonna be a slave,” said Hayes, whose mother is White and father is Black. Students, parents and recent alumni like Hayes are calling for a racial reckoning in the school district of Coronado.

ABC KGTV (10News.com) August 5, 2020

Neighbors quickly rip down white supremacist stickers

SAN MARCOS, Calif. (KGTV) — Kelley Keatly and her husband were walking in their San Marcos neighborhood Wednesday morning when something caught their attention. They noticed a red sticker stuck to an electrical box. When they looked closer, they saw a message of hate, one that read: “The symbol of white resistance.” The sticker included a link to a website filled with hatred – towards Jews, African Americans, and the LGBTQ community.

Keatly took the sticker and posted an image of it on a neighborhood Facebook page. Melissa Burgess saw the post and then found four – on electric boxes and traffic lights, including ones near San Elijo Elementary and Middle schools, where her children attend.

Runner’s World (runnersworld.com, August 7, 2020)

This Movement Will Run Until There’s Justice for Breonna Taylor

Running as a form of protest is a moving advertisement. You can create more awareness that way. Say her name. Now, say it again. That’s been the message at each Run for Breonna run in San Diego, led by Gina Wickstead and Nicol Hodges, in the wake of the widespread protests against systemic racism and police brutality in America.

San Diego Union Tribune, August 3, 2020

Abolish the police? It’s a real thing. Even cops say they’ve taken on too much

Protest signs are meant to be provocative, but these were especially so: “Abolish the police.” They showed up in San Diego and across the country over the past two weeks as thousands of Americans took to the streets to condemn the May 25 killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by a white police officer who knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest over a counterfeit $20 bill.

As far-fetched as the protest signs seem, they are part of a growing national debate that’s moved beyond the usual calls for change — better training, more diversity, increased accountability — to openly question the fundamental purpose of police in society.

Coast News, August 2, 2020

Captain Taft, Encinitas hold virtual townhall forum

North County residents participated in Encinitas’ first virtual Law Enforcement Forum on July 28 with Capt. Herbert Taft of the sheriff department’s North Coastal Station, and Encinitas City Manager Jennifer Campbell, asking a variety of questions about crime, traffic and racial bias.

The local group Encinitas 4 Equality (E4E) represented the majority of participants, inquiring into North County Station’s racial sensitivity training, department oversight committees, and the concept of “color blindness,” which appeared to spark some tension between Taft and E4E.

San Diego Union Tribune, July 29, 2020

Members of E4E seek information on arrests, use-of-force complaints, mental health

Any police department can occasionally have a “few bad apples” or people “who make mistakes” and must be disciplined or removed, but Encinitas isn’t regularly experiencing race-based policing issues, the head of the county’s North Coastal Sheriff’s Station said Tuesday.

Speaking during a three-hour, online-only community forum, Capt. Herb Taft said he knows first-hand what it’s like to be Black and be mistreated by the police because he experienced it as a child in Oakland. And, he repeatedly stressed, it’s not something he would ever tolerate in his deputies.

Encinitas Advocate, July 29, 2020

North county sherriff’s captain holds virtual townhall

San Diego Sheriff’s Capt. Herb Taft held a virtual public forum on July 28 to answer questions about policing in Encinitas, but declined to address racism or any of the broader questions that police nationwide are facing in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.

Taft said he wanted the forum, which lasted three hours, to focus on issues specific to Encinitas. In response to a few questions about racism in local policing, mostly from members of grassroots group Encinitas 4 Equality, Taft emphasized that he and his deputies aim to treat everyone equally.

Encinitas Advocate, July 29, 2020

Encinitas 4 Equality looks to grow its mission

Following the murder of George Floyd, a group of Encinitas residents started the grassroots group Encinitas 4 Equality to address systemic racism and support Black residents in North County who are fighting racism.

Encinitas 4 Equality started with nightly peaceful protests at the Cardiff Kook, where residents gathered to hold signs, read the names of Black people who have died in police custody and make other gestures that called attention to systemic racism.

Coast News, June 19, 2020

Activists call for reforms of Carlsbad Police Department after tasing incident

Several groups are calling on the Carlsbad Police Department and demanding reforms following the arrest of Marcel Cox-Harshaw last Thursday night in Carlsbad.

Representatives from the North County Civil Liberties Coalition, North San Diego NAACP, Moms Demand Action and Racial Justice Coalition held a press conference on June 19 railing against the actions of two Carlsbad police officers, who were seen on video tasing Cox-Harshaw and physically restraining him while he was on the ground.

San Clemente Times, June 12, 2020

Surfers Paddle Out for Floyd

Dozens of local surfers on Wednesday, June 10, took to San Clemente’s waters for a paddle out and memorial as part of ongoing peaceful protests against the killing of George Floyd, an African American man who died while in Minneapolis police custody.

San Clemente’s surf community united with the dozens of other demonstrators who had gathered at the pier to pay tribute to Floyd, as well as join in the nationwide demand to defund the police—a rallying cry for sweeping law enforcement reforms and the reduction of police budgets so more money can be spent on other services.

Coast News, June 5th issue.

Coast News George Floyd Protest Cover, (Coast News, June 5, 2020)

Encinitas Advocate, June 4, 2020

Nightly peaceful protest grows at Cardiff Kook

ENCINITAS — A North County landmark best known for whimsical self-expression, birthday wishes and holiday celebrations has taken on a more serious message this week with large nightly demonstrations against police abuse and racial injustice. A North County landmark best known for whimsical self-expression, birthday wishes and holiday celebrations has taken on a more serious message this week with large nightly demonstrations against police abuse and racial injustice.

North Coast Current, May 31, 2020

Encinitas residents gather to protest death of George Floyd

Nearly 400 Encinitas residents gathered at the Cardiff Kook statue Sunday, May 31, to add their voices to growing nationwide protests over the death of an African-American man in Minneapolis police custody.

People lined the intersection of Coast Highway 101 and Chesterfield Drive at about 5 p.m. as drivers honked their horns as they passed by. Although the death of George Floyd served as an impetus for the event, it was also held in honor of Black Lives Matter and as a vigil.