Equity at CADRE
Our organization is guided by a shared vision for racial and educational justice in South LA.
Equity is the foundation of how we organize, lead, and build power.
Equity means recognizing that Black and Brown parents in South Los Angeles have been systematically excluded, criminalized, and silenced within public education systems — and that meaningful change requires intentionally shifting power, resources, and decision-making to those most impacted.
Our work is rooted in a simple truth: when parents are supported, unified, and trusted as leaders, they transform schools, systems, and communities.
What Equity Means to Us
Parent Expertise & Leadership
We center Black and Brown parents as experts of their own lived experiences and as leaders of change in schools, systems, and communities.
Confronting Anti-Black Racism
We address anti-Black racism directly, honestly, and without dilution—naming harm clearly in order to transform systems that perpetuate it.
Black–Brown Solidarity
We build solidarity between Black and Brown families while honoring distinct histories, lived realities, and the specific harms each community has faced.
Removing Barriers to Participation
We actively remove obstacles to engagement, including language access, transportation, childcare, documentation status, and fear of retaliation.
Shifting Power
Equity means shifting power—not just expanding access—from institutions to families and from systems to the communities most impacted.
Beyond Inclusion
Equity requires more than representation. It demands accountability, redistribution of resources, and lasting structural transformation.
Why CADRE’s Approach Works
CADRE’s model is rooted in nearly 25 years of organizing led by Black and Brown parents. Through love, strategy, and solidarity, we’ve created a movement that transforms both individuals and systems.
Two Decades of Impact
Building sustainable parent power since 2001.
90% Reduction in Suspensions
Achieved through parent-led advocacy in LAUSD.
Hundreds of Trained Leaders
Developing lifelong advocates and organizers.
Coalition Power
Founding partner of the Dignity in Schools Campaign and state-wide movements for educational justice.