The Fathers and Families of San Joaquin (FFSJ) presented during the Social Justice in the Central Valley on Tuesday. This was a part of the “Home, Displacement, Work & Family” sessions.
Sammy Nuñez, Executive Director of Fathers & Families of San Joaquin, was the main presenter and along with him was his team of four individuals to help explain the story and purpose of the FFSJ program.
The team consisted of Calvin Jones, Anthony Robinson Jr., Luis Angel, and Shay Holliman. All of them work with Nuñez at FFSJ , and they shared stories about their background and upbringing. They continued to move forward despite any odds that crossed their paths with the help of FFSJ  they had bounced back after encountering hard times.
The FFSJ follows the “theory of change.” They work with the marginalized youth and adults of Stockton, aiming to give them a safe, productive environment. Their core values and principles are “social justice, cultural, equity, truth and asset.”
Robinson said, “the system does not sleep, so we have to wake up.” He continued to explain the importance of having a program like FFSJ that provides a positive and productive environment for people to heal and fight back against oppression.
He said that certain parts of Stockton are labeled by different area codes, which determines how much greenery is in the area. To counteract this, he talked about the “healing roots program,” which is a way for families to plant native trees in their neighborhoods.
In addition, they were able to help children from El Dorado Elementary School after an record high in write ups and discipline issues by providing the students with a place to heal. Therapists were made available on campus along with a “healing circle” Nuñez said.
“Instead of calling the police when your children are acting out, when they’re acting their trauma, when they’re acting out of their traumatized self, instead of their authentic self, because their authentic self is beautiful” he said. “Call us.” Nuñez reported that there was a significant drop in write-ups and discipline after the program got involved.
These are some of the many ways the FFSJ helps the Stockton community. The FFSJ provides a safe place for children adults, and elders to express their feelings. In addition to the healing roots program they hope to continue to change for Stockton residents’ lives for the better, while fighting against the systematic injustices.
Luis said the definition of social justice is “justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.” This is what a social justice warrior fights for.
To start and end the presentation they said, “I am a social justice warrior!” Nuñez said that this change is done “always with love.”
To learn more about the group, check out their website and contact them through the appropriate links.