Black students protest school Newsom’s proposed spending plan

Black students from around California gathered at the state Capitol on Tuesday to protest a proposed school spending plan they say shortchanges Black students, the Sacramento Bee reported.

“We have been demanding change for too long without seeing change,” said Hannah Canada, a senior at Cosumnes Oaks High School and president of Black Students of California United. “If we want equity, we need to start seeing direct solutions instead of trying to slap a Band-Aid.”

The proposed spending plan, put forth by Gov. Newsom, would allot additional school funding based on how many students at a school qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Because many Black students do not attend low-income schools, they would miss out on that funding despite persistently low scores in math and reading, advocates said.

Protesters also spent part of Tuesday at an Assembly budget subcommittee hearing, promoting their alternative budget plan. Their plan would adjust funding so more Black students would benefit.

At the rally, students toted signs that read “70% of Black kids are below grade level in reading” and “84% of Black kids are below grade level in math.,” the Bee reported. They also danced, marched and sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

“In California, equity means everyone but Black students,” Margaret Fortune, president and CEO of Fortune School of Education, said at the rally. “It’s time for our students to be seen, heard and funded.”

Newsom will release his revised budget in May.