Pillars of the Community

From Coast to Coast: Narrative Power in Action! Join Pillars of the Community at The People’s Forum for an exclusive NYC screening of California Story — a powerful documentary exposing gang documentation and surveillance laws targeting communities of color across California and the U.S. With support from Pillars Fund, this urgent film travels from San Diego to New York, amplifying stories that challenge injustice and demand change. 🎬 Featuring voices like Dr. Shirley Weber, Dr. Cornel West, Rep. Sydney Kamlager, and Greg Moran, the film reveals how discriminatory policies have harmed communities and eroded trust — while highlighting storytelling as a tool for resistance and policy change. 🎤 Opening remarks by Director David Kuhn, followed by a panel with Linda Sarsour, Khalid Alexander, Dr. Chenjerai Kumanyika, Dr. Elizabeth Hinton, and Tim Kornegay, connecting the film to NYC’s own history of surveillance and over-policing. 🔗 RSVP: bit.ly/may21nyc

#News : A new documentary looks at the personal toll gang laws have taken on San Diegans. It’s been seven years in the making. KPBS reporter Katie Hyson says community members have been living the issue for much longer. 🎥 #KPBS #Documentary #Fyp #Foryou

Forty states, including California, give voters the right to elect sheriffs in their state constitutions. In practice, however, sheriffs are often handpicked and face very little opposition at the ballot box and once in office. Sometimes they stay in power, unchallenged for years. In San Diego, Former Sheriff Bill Gore, who spent most of his career with the FBI, stayed in the role for 12 years despite high rates of misconduct within the department and alarming numbers of in-custody deaths. Upon his retirement in 2022, Gore handpicked Kelly Martinez, the undersheriff, to take his place so that she could claim in that year’s election to already be running the department, boosting her profile. Sheriffs in San Diego typically serve four-year terms, but because of a change in state law Martinez’s position is secured through 2028. Image description: Black image with headline, “San Diego Sheriff’s Rule With an Iron Fist.” A collaged photo of the San Diego Central Jail gate and sheriff’s deputies, alongside a cartoonish photo of cowboys with a bag of money. At the bottom is the byline, “By Michael Whyte, Jr.” with a photo of the writer. Under the headline it reads, “Link in bio.” At the top it reads, “Issue 4, 6mins.” Read more 👉 link in bio. Photo illustration: All Rise staff.

While headlines often focus on immigration enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border, the real story is one of resistance—communities working together to confront injustice and uphold human dignity. Nowhere is this more evident than in the San Diego-Tijuana region, the largest transnational metropolitan area along the U.S.-Mexico border. Here, grassroots organizations and coalitions have long fought back against anti-immigration policies, adapting their strategies to meet evolving threats. Image description: Black image with headline, “Resisting Borders: How Communities Mobilize Against Immigration Enforcement.” A collaged photo of the border wall, mountain and flames appears in the middle. At the bottom is the byline, “By Asma Abdi” with a photo of the writer. Under the headline it reads, “Link in bio.” At the top it reads, “Issue 4, 5mins.” Read more 👉 link in bio. Photo illustration: All Rise staff.

“The question around gang membership really is a threat to your life, because as soon as you label somebody a gang member, you’re able to dehumanize them away in a way that people won’t question.” emphasizes CALIFORNIA STORY Executive Producer, Khalid Alexander. “We don’t argue that gang members are angels. The film argues that gang members are human beings, and they should be treated like human beings.” 🎞️CALIFORNIA STORY dives into the little-known world of gang documentation and enhancements, highlighting the ways that California gang laws target communities of color and criminalize entire groups of people, simply for existing. Pillars of the Community is dedicated to seeking justice and dignity for all people, especially those targeted and negatively impacted by law enforcement. Find out how to support the work at

Can you be sent to prison for the clothes you wear, the people you talk to, or the neighborhood you live in? You can in California ‼️ 🎞️CALIFORNIA STORY dives into the little-known world of gang documentation and enhancements, highlighting the ways that California gang laws target communities of color and criminalize entire groups of people, simply for existing. At its core, CALIFORNIA STORY  is about humanity, how we view others, and some of the efforts being made to seek justice in an unjust system. Executive Producer, Khalid Alexander Director/Producer- David Kuhn Learn more and find the next screening at californiastorydoc.com 📝@katiehyson23 for @kpbs

#art #resistance 2026 @potcsd May day @the_kwento_thesis @stacymakesthings #pillarsofthecommunity #sandiegostreetops #pillarsofthecommunitysd @rameljwallace @chikle79 @complwhy

CALIFORNIA STORY (documentary produced by David Kuhn & Khalid Alexander) a sad & dangerous reality far too many face. Do not allow law enforcement try to justify their actions through stereotyping & labeling others as anything less than human‼️ TOGETHER, WE RISE. 🙏🏽🕊️ Each of us have our own fight.. but together, we can accomplish great things! 🙌🏽 Barrios united, should never be divided‼️💪🏽 @justiceforchrisdearman @david.dearman.752 @halimaaziz @alexander.khalid @__619jaazy33 @yez96_

Yesterday, Axios dropped the news that while San Diegans were telling City Council all the reasons they wanted to drop Flock, SDPD quietly signed a contract for Flock Nova without going through the Privacy Advisory Board or public oversight process. Flock Nova is a "platform [that] integrates police departments' investigative data." More startlingly, the "Nova service also gives SDPD access to 'open source intelligence' and data from other law enforcement agencies" according to the SDPD Flock contract. Open source data is data gathered from all over the internet, including data purchased from data brokers. Homayra Yusufi of TRUST SD coalition says that the city stuck to a "technical loophole" to sign a contract 'In the dark." "This is exactly what we didn't want to happen," Yusufi told Axios, "and should not happen anymore." Call or show up at the Privacy Advisory Board today and let them know if they should approve the City's Flock policies. Search Privacy Advisory Board and go to the meeting agendas for zoom info. https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/2026-04/pab-agenda-260430.pdf #alpr #flock #surveillance

The impacts of the tidal wave that is AI are often discussed only in the future tense. But it’s already being felt — and San Diego has been on the front line. @nationmag covered what’s going down in our city. Under @d4supmonica leadership and alongside community partners at @sandiegotrust , @panasandiego , @potcsd , @alliancesandiego , @sdicaclu and other community partners, we passed the TRUST Ordinance to bring transparency to how the City uses surveillance technology. We were also one of the first cities in the country to ban tech companies and corporate landlords from using AI to rig rental prices and have taken a lead role in demanding community have a say in how robo taxis operate in our city. We’ve also taken losses. The TRUST Ordinance was undermined by loopholes pushed by police lobbyists and the tech companies that profit from surveillance. The City has approved and continues to spend millions on AI-powered surveillance that can track nearly every move San Diegans make. Now, Waymo is coming for the livelihoods of drivers who feed their families behind the wheel. Hoteliers and other bosses are threatening to replace workers with robots rather than pay a decent wage. AI is being used to weaponize information about us to inflate prices for everything we pay for. And the billionaires who own these companies are planning to spend hundreds of millions to influence California elections. The wave is here, and it keeps pushing further into our communities. Our job isn’t to run for higher ground. It’s to make sure working people aren’t the ones left to drown while the rich get richer.

[ART & RESISTANCE] - This Friday, May 1st, join Pillars of the Community for a night of Art and Resistance! We will be bringing together four of San Diego’s finest visual artists to showcase their work and break down the connection between resistance and the creative process.   —- 🗓️ Friday, May 1st 📍502 Fergus St., San Diego 92114   Exhibit opens 5:30 PM Panel conversation 6:30–7:30 PM Hosted by: @rameljwallace   Featuring: @complwhy @chikle79 @the_kwento_thesis @staceymakes.things ——   No cover charge. Food & drinks provided. Come through. ✊🏽

Our communities are facing rapidly growing dangers as the use of AI-based surveillance systems spreads. Read about TRUST SD (Transparent and Responsible Use of Surveillance Technology San Diego) coalition’s fight to stave off invasive surveillance and demand transparency in The Nation. Link in bio 🔗 #SanDiego #TRUSTSD #Surveillance #AI #Privacy @nationmag - @sandiegotrust - sandiegotrust.org @panasandiego @gleem0trix @homayray