Health Equity Advocacy Day with Little Manila Rising
A recap of the event advocating for the South Stockton community.
On March 13, 2024, Little Manila Rising (LMR) hosted its 2024 Health Advocacy Day. According to LMR, The event was an invitation to share “stories, voices, and opinions with legislators at the State Capitol around health equity, mental health, and air quality policies” that impact the South Stockton community. Community members of all ages and organizations throughout California traveled to Sacramento to uplift Little Manila’s mission.
Upon arrival, people were split into groups depending on their organization’s field of work; for example, some focused on air quality analysis, whereas others worked directly with people with respiratory illnesses. They prepared their talking points for the first round of legislative meetings before entering the Swing Space, a bustling office building next to the Capitol. Meetings consisted of a formal conversation between groups of advocates and a California assembly member or one of their staffers. They shared LMR’s goals and personal testimony about health issues for thirty minutes, then left key deliverables, like a community impact report, with the legislative staff. Each group was able to participate in two or three legislative meetings. Afterward, the collective gathered to discuss the outcomes of Advocacy Day before traveling back to Stockton, the city at the heart of it all.
For a more comprehensive understanding of Little Manila Rising’s Health Equity Advocacy Day objectives, view their Advocacy 101 presentation.
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