The Palacio Podcast
Christine Petit: Fighting for Social Justice and Equity in the Worst of Times
Dr. Christine Petit, Executive Director of Long Beach Forward, knows this is the worst of times for low-income communities of color and immigrants.
“It also presents a lot of opportunities as a community organizer to have conversations…people are more aware of what is happening and how it impacts them personally and really looking for solutions to these issues.”
It is a silver lining in an otherwise tumultuous and polarizing time where the politics of exclusion are in high gear. That doesn’t seem to dampen the fervor and commitment of social justice fighters like Christine Petit. Influenced early by an aunt and a teacher, Petit’s eyes were opened early to the world around her and the vision of social justice.
Dr. Christine Petit
PalacioMagazine.com interviewed Christine Petit at the Long Beach Forward offices on Atlantic where we discussed the long road from Portland, Oregon to East Los Angeles and then Long Beach.
Long Beach Forward’s mission is to “…create a healthy Long Beach with low-income communities of color by building community knowledge, leadership, and power.”
“Our focus is on strengthening the power of organizations and community members. Our goal is to provide the tools and training necessary for you to be heard, be influential, and drive real change in Long Beach. We do this by supporting the leadership and organizing skills of youth and adult residents; increasing the resources that residents and community groups have access to, and fostering meaningful engagement with policymakers.”
More on Christine Petit
Christine Petit also serves as Chair of the City of Long Beach’s Board of Health and Human Services. Petit is a co-founder of the Long Beach Time Exchange—a time-banking community based on the premise that everyone in Long Beach has something to contribute to our city. Christine Petit holds a Ph.D. in sociology with emphases in social change and race and class inequality.
On Long Beach Forward and the Building Healthy Communities Hub Organization:
About three years ago, the BHCLB Hub Organization and local partners started laying the foundation for a rebranding process that officially launched just under one year ago. This process was not just to find a new name and establish a new identity— it was to clarify our values and our work.
We are the glue that brings people, community organizations, and decision makers together by providing the tools and resources needed for positive change. We support community leaders and help advance equitable policies.
Our focus is on strengthening the power of organizations and community members. Our goal is to provide the tools and training necessary for you to be heard, be influential, and drive real change in Long Beach. We do this by supporting the leadership and organizing skills of youth and adult residents; increasing the resources that residents and community groups have access to, and fostering meaningful engagement with policymakers.
We believe that everyone in Long Beach should be able to live a long, healthy life and influence decisions that affect their well-being. Everyone’s voice should be valued, and all residents should have the resources and opportunities to be successful in life. Our vision is one where race and income do not determine one’s future in Long Beach— it’s a community where everyone is safe, connected, and healthy.
Welcome to Long Beach Forward. Our mission is to create a healthy Long Beach with low-income communities of color by building community knowledge, leadership, and power.
Long Beach Forward is our way of saying that we are not riding off into the sunset in 2020 when the BHC initiative ends. Long Beach Forward and the movements we support are here to stay.
Some of the work we currently support already falls outside of the BHC initiative, such as our work to support Sanctuary, Local Hire, and Wage Theft Coalitions. We also see our work as connecting to other parts of the city beyond Central and West Long Beach, such as North Long Beach. Additionally, we are already taking on new collaborative work and we’ll have a big announcement on this to share next month.
That said, we will continue to support the BHC initiative in Long Beach. Our transition to Long Beach Forward is one major step in the sustainability of our work post-2020 and we knew it was important to begin making the transition now to ensure our success. In the coming months, we will be having conversations around the sustainability of collaborative groups that are funded by The California Endowment as part of the BHC initiative and are excited to offer support while following the lead and energy of each unique collaborative as each group determines its next steps.
We hope you will continue to join us in this next chapter of our journey by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Stay tuned for more announcements as we fully transition to our new name this summer.
