How coalition looks to revive activism as Central Valley support of conservative politics grows
.jpeg "Marchers at the “Inauguration of the People” march in downtown Modesto on Jan. 19, 2025.")
The Central Valley Black, Indigenous and People of Color Coalition (CVBIPOCC) aims to “be the community that we all kind of want, need — something that the government’s not going to provide,” organizer Efren Diaz said.
The coalition unites multiple grassroots organizations from across the Central Valley to foster stronger community connections. It regularly organizes rallies advocating for causes such as Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ and women’s rights and the Free Palestine movement.
In addition to advocacy, the group collaborates with other local organizations to expand its impact. CVBIPOCC members have worked with Valley Streetz, a harm-reduction group, to learn how to administer Narcan. They’ve also gathered mutual aid donations for their Winter Warmth Drive, which provided essential items to around 150 unhoused individuals in Modesto.
Origin of the group
During the 2020 George Floyd protests in Modesto, Diaz and his friends were moved by the number of people who turned out, as well as the response from the Modesto Police Department. Drawing on their experience organizing in college, they felt inspired to create a more structured and cohesive activist group.
This led to the creation of “Blooms of Liberation,” a group they formed to unite like-minded organizers across the Central Valley.
From there, they came up with the idea to create a network for organizers and activists as a way to streamline communication and share resources.
What began as a group chat eventually grew into an Instagram page, which sparked the formation of CVBIPOCC.
The coalition primarily operates in Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. Initially, members held general meetings to discuss issues in their respective counties and exchange contacts. Over time, they evolved their structure by forming specialized subcommittees focused on specific topics, each meeting separately.
The subcommittees include one on environmental justice, another on police accountability. The latter has been following the case of Trevor Seever, who was fatally shot by Modesto police Officer Joseph Lamantia in 2020. Members have supported Seever’s family and attended City Council meetings.
Since President Donald Trump’s reelection, the group has been compiling and sharing resources for immigrants and other marginalized communities through its Instagram page.
To address these needs, CVBIPOCC recently formed a committee dedicated to farmworker and undocumented solidarity. The committee has been reaching out to contractors and plants to distribute “know your rights” cards to workers.
Diaz said the resurgence of the Free Palestine movement has sparked a surge in interest from people wanting to organize or join efforts.
Much of the group’s work has been funded out of pocket, though it also has sought donations to sustain its efforts. Recently, the coalition secured a $3,000 grant, which it used to distribute clothing, hygiene kits and blankets to unhoused individuals in Modesto.
Beyond activism, the group aims to foster a sense of community. “It’s just really nice to kind of be in the same space as people who are like-minded as you,” Diaz said.
Julissa Ruiz Ramirez, a co-founder of CVBIPOCC, said activism in the Valley looks different compared to the Bay Area and Southern California. She believes increased education could help more people in the region become open to progressive ideas.
Many people in the Central Valley are affected by police violence, housing instability and mental health struggles, Ramirez said.
Through CVBIPOCC, she has recognized the lack of resources in the Valley, where services for the LGBTQ community and for housing can be spread thin, understaffed and underfunded.
Ramirez grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Hughson after she migrated to the U.S. 22 years ago. She recalled an incident from several years ago when her family called 911 for a wellness check on her brother, who was struggling with mental health. Instead of receiving help, she said the responding officer arrived with a handgun drawn.
At just 19 years old, Ramirez said she had to step in and deescalate the situation herself.
She said many immigrants escape violence in their home countries only to encounter different forms of violence in the U.S.
For Ramirez, CVBIPOCC has been crucial. “It’s what saved me,” she said.
Reviving activism in the Central Valley
Katharina Beeler became involved with CVBIPOCC in October 2023 after attending a rally for the Free Palestine movement.
Having spent nearly eight years away from the Central Valley, she never intended to return. However, after her job in the Middle East fell through, she found herself back in the area.
She said that it took seven years for her to finally feel like she could live in the Central Valley again, and it was through her involvement with CVBIPOCC that she found a sense of belonging.
“I finally found people where we’re working together on liberation and listening to people and actually doing something about it, not just sitting and complaining,” Beeler said.
She said the Central Valley frequently experiences brain drain, with people leaving due to prejudice or simply not feeling safe.
Similarly, Learkana Chong said she returned to Modesto last June to repair her relationship with her hometown after living several years in the Bay Area.
She discovered CVBIPOCC through Instagram, where it was posting about Palestine solidarity.
Excited to see people in her community engaging with global issues, she attended an event in September. Over the next few months, she became more involved and now helps manage the group’s social media. She said it’s been nice to see people organizing and protesting in Modesto.
“Nothing’s gonna change if I continue to stay in my little Bay Area bubble,” Chong said.
Pushback
Diaz said that given the Central Valley’s more conservative leanings, it’s crucial for the group’s voices to be heard now more than ever.
At times, the activism is met with harassment.
Diaz recalled a recent breakfast drive the group hosted at a church in Livingston, where he spoke to the owner about passing out pamphlets regarding the Livingston Police Department budget. He said the owner started calling the CVBIPOCC members communists and demanded they leave, though they were fortunate to have finished cooking by then.
“Just goes to show, any mention of ‘How about we put some money away from the police and give it to the people and housing, education, culture, art?’ — any mention of that we’re called communist,” Diaz said.
Beeler finds it laughable that CVBIPOCC often is perceived as a radical group.
“How is it radical to want your neighbor to be housed, to see someone who’s on the street with no food, to want them to have food. When you see people suffering with asthma, why would I be against them getting their inhaler and working towards better air quality?” Beeler said. “So whenever we are called radical, it doesn’t make sense to us, because all we’re asking is for human rights and basic needs.”
Those interested in getting involved and volunteering can fill out the form at tinyurl.com/CVBIPOCC or email CVBIPOCC@protonmail.com.
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 8:10 AM.
