Demand Justice for Black Workers in Long Beach
Fair work. Fair pay. Dignity for all.
Long Beach is our home. It is a city built by hard work, culture, and community. We believe in fairness. We believe in opportunity. And we believe that everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued at work.
But right now, that is not the reality for many Black workers in Long Beach, especially those working for the City itself.
And we cannot ignore it any longer.
Our Call to Action
We call on the City of Long Beach, including the Mayor, City Council, City Manager, department leadership, Human Resources, Equal Employment Opportunity Office, and union representatives, to take immediate, measurable action:
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Deliver the 120-day workforce analysis on time and make it fully public, including detailed data on hiring, pay, promotions, discipline, and reclassification by race
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Release ongoing workforce data through transparent, publicly accessible reporting so progress can be tracked over time
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Adopt and enforce a comprehensive Workplace Equity Policy that clearly defines discrimination, anti-Blackness, harassment, and retaliation, with required timelines and consequences for violations.
Examples:
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Establish an independent Truth, Reconciliation, and Accountability Commission, separate from HR, EEO, and internal City systems, to investigate systemic inequities, document findings, and monitor implementation
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Reform hiring, classification, and promotion systems to eliminate documented barriers, including biased exams, informal selection practices, and denial of out-of-class compensation
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Conduct wage equity audits across all departments and implement corrective actions
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Strengthen anti-retaliation protections and create safe, independent reporting systems for workers
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Strengthen protections for workers by creating independent, accessible, and trauma-informed complaint systems, with clear anti-retaliation safeguards and public accountability for outcomes
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Invest in Black worker advancement through targeted hiring, leadership development, career pathways, and partnerships with community-based organizations
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Fully fund and support the City’s Office of Equity and the Health Department’s health equity work, including their ongoing implementation of the Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative, to ensure these commitments result in measurable outcomes
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Require union representatives to uphold their responsibility to advocate for workers’ rights and ensure equitable representation in addressing complaints and workplace conditions
These actions are not new proposals. They align with commitments the City has already made. We are calling on City leadership to follow through and deliver measurable results.
Learn More
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Signing this petition is about more than jobs. It is about dignity, safety, and basic civil rights at a time when hate and discrimination are becoming more visible across this country. This is not just about work. This is about life outcomes.
What is happening to Black workers in Long Beach is not separate from what is happening across the U.S. The truth is, anti-Blackness is so deeply rooted in our society that the struggles of Black people have become normalized. Inequity, discrimination, and harm are often expected, overlooked, or dismissed.
Black workers are not staying silent. They have been raising concerns through every available channel. Workers have spoken publicly at City Council meetings, describing unsafe conditions, unfair pay, and discrimination inside City departments. They have filed complaints with Human Resources and the Equal Employment Opportunity Office, often with little to no meaningful resolution. They have sought support from their unions, only to report that their concerns are not always taken seriously or are deprioritized. And when internal systems failed to protect them, workers took the extraordinary step of filing a class action lawsuit against the City, alleging systemic racial discrimination, retaliation, and unequal treatment. The fact that workers have had to escalate from internal complaints to public testimony to legal action is not just significant. It is evidence that the systems meant to protect them are not working.
We invite everyone who feels outrage about injustice, whether it’s state-sanctioned harm, or the treatment of any marginalized community, to recognize that these issues are connected. When systems fail one group, they create conditions that harm many. Standing up for Black workers is part of a broader fight for justice and human dignity for all.
The City already knows there is a problem. It has studied it, documented it, and acknowledged it publicly. The City commissioned the Black Community Health Strengths and Needs Assessment, which identified widespread anti-Black discrimination and its impact on health, housing, and economic stability. It adopted the Framework for Reconciliation and launched the Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative with explicit goals to eliminate systemic racism in City government. It created an Equity Toolkit to guide fair hiring, promotion, and discipline practices. And on February 10, 2026, City Council members voted to direct a workforce analysis, identify employment deserts, and evaluate whether the City’s own hiring systems are contributing to inequity. The issue is not awareness. The issue is follow-through and accountability. Your signature adds to a growing movement demanding that the City deliver on the commitments it has already made. The more people who stand up, the harder it becomes to ignore.
This is a moment to choose where you stand. Stand with Black workers. Stand for fairness. Add your name and be part of the change.
Sign the petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/justiceforblackcityoflongbeachworkers
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Subject: Sign the petition to City of Long Beach Mayor, City Council, Directors, Managers, Supervisors and a Union Reps: We Demand Justice for Black Workers in Long Beach
Email Message:
Friend,
I signed a petition on Action Network telling City of Long Beach Mayor, City Council, Directors, Managers and Supervisors to Demand Justice for Black Workers in Long Beach.
Signing this petition is about more than jobs. It is about dignity, safety, and basic civil rights at a time when hate and discrimination are becoming more visible across this country. In Long Beach, the numbers tell a clear story. Black workers make up about 11.6% of the City workforce, yet they are overrepresented in the lowest-paying jobs and make up only about 6% of higher salary positions.
That means Black workers are represented at roughly half of what would be expected in higher-paying roles. Even when Black workers are in the workforce, they are not moving through it at the same rate.
Across the city, 35% of Black residents are working multiple jobs just to survive, and Black men live 10 years less than white men.
This is not just about work. This is about life outcomes.
What is happening to Black workers in Long Beach is not separate from what is happening across the U.S. The truth is, anti-Blackness is so deeply rooted in our society that the struggles of Black people have become normalized. Inequity, discrimination, and harm are often expected, overlooked, or dismissed. Black workers are not staying silent. They have been raising concerns through every available channel. Workers have spoken publicly at City Council meetings, describing unsafe conditions, unfair pay, and discrimination inside City departments. They have filed complaints with Human Resources and the Equal Employment Opportunity Office, often with little to no meaningful resolution. They have sought support from their unions, only to report that their concerns are not always taken seriously or are deprioritized. And when internal systems failed to protect them, workers took the extraordinary step of filing a class action lawsuit against the City, alleging systemic racial discrimination, retaliation, and unequal treatment. The fact that workers have had to escalate from internal complaints to public testimony to legal action is not just significant. It is evidence that the systems meant to protect them are not working.
We invite everyone who feels outrage about injustice, whether it is ICE violence, state-sanctioned harm, or the treatment of any marginalized community, to recognize that these issues are connected. When systems fail one group, they create conditions that harm many. Standing up for Black workers is part of a broader fight for justice and human dignity for all.
The City already knows there is a problem. It has studied it, documented it, and acknowledged it publicly. The City commissioned the Black Community Health Strengths and Needs Assessment, which identified widespread anti-Black discrimination and its impact on health, housing, and economic stability. It adopted the Framework for Reconciliation and launched the Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative with explicit goals to eliminate systemic racism in City government. It created an Equity Toolkit to guide fair hiring, promotion, and discipline practices. And on February 10, 2026, City Council members voted to direct a workforce analysis, identify employment deserts, and evaluate whether the City’s own hiring systems are contributing to inequity. The issue is not awareness. The issue is follow-through and accountability. Your signature adds to a growing movement demanding that the City deliver on the commitments it has already made. The more people who stand up, the harder it becomes to ignore. This is a moment to choose where you stand. Stand with Black workers. Stand for fairness. Add your name and be part of the change.
Can you join me and take action? Click here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/justiceforblackcityoflongbeachworkers
Thanks!
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CAMPAIGN PURPOSE
This campaign calls on the City of Long Beach to address systemic inequities impacting Black workers in hiring, pay, promotion, and workplace conditions.
We are building public awareness, growing community support, and applying pressure on decision-makers to take real, measurable action.
CALL TO ACTION
Sign and share the petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/justiceforblackcityoflongbeachworkers
HOW PARTNERS CAN SUPPORT
1. SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Post at least 2–3 times per week during the campaign.
2. EMAIL YOUR NETWORKS
Send the petition to your list and encourage others to sign and share.
3. SHOW UP
Attend City Council meetings, events, and actions when possible.
4. AMPLIFY WORKER VOICES
Repost content, testimonials, and updates from the campaign.
POST OPTION 1
Long Beach, we need to talk.
Black workers make up 11.6% of the City workforce but only about 6% of higher-paying positions. That gap has existed for more than 15 years.
Workers are speaking up about discrimination, retaliation, and being stuck in lower-paying roles.
The City knows. Now it must act.
Sign the petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/justiceforblackcityoflongbeachworkers
#LongBeachAgainstAntiBlackness #WorkerJustice #EquityNow #JusticeForBlackWorkers
POST OPTION 2
This is not one story. It is a pattern.
Black workers in Long Beach are being passed over, underpaid, and pushed aside.
The data proves it. Worker experiences confirm it.
We are calling for accountability and real change.
Add your name: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/justiceforblackcityoflongbeachworkers
#LongBeachAgainstAntiBlackness #BlackWorkersMatter #EconomicJustice
POST OPTION 3
The City has already studied the problem.
It has data, reports, and equity commitments.
What’s missing is action.
We are holding the City accountable to what it already knows.
Sign and share: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/justiceforblackcityoflongbeachworkers
#LongBeachAgainstAntiBlackness #AccountabilityNow #SystemicChange
SHORT TEXT / SMS VERSION
Black workers in Long Beach are facing ongoing inequity in pay, promotions, and workplace conditions. The City has already studied this. Now we need action.
Sign and share: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/justiceforblackcityoflongbeachworkers
EMAIL BLURB (FOR PARTNERS)
Subject: Stand with Black workers in Long Beach
Black workers in Long Beach are speaking out about inequity in hiring, pay, and promotion. The City’s own data shows these disparities have existed for more than 15 years.
We are calling for transparency, accountability, and real change.
Add your name and help us build momentum: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/justiceforblackcityoflongbeachworkers
FINAL NOTE FOR PARTNERS
This campaign is about more than one policy or one department. It is about ensuring that the City of Long Beach lives up to its commitments and creates workplaces where Black workers can thrive.
When Black workers thrive, the entire community benefits.
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ABOUT THE COALITION AGAINST ANTI-BLACKNESS IN LONG BEACH
The Coalition Against Anti-Blackness in Long Beach was formed in response to ongoing concerns raised by Black workers within the City of Long Beach about discrimination, inequity, and harmful workplace conditions. The coalition was created by community leader and City worker Anthony Holmes, who has been a visible and consistent voice advocating for fairness, safety, and accountability for workers.
The coalition brings together Black workers, community members, and advocates who are working to shine a light on patterns of anti-Blackness in City systems, particularly in employment. This includes concerns around hiring practices, pay disparities, promotion barriers, retaliation, and workplace culture.
Members of the coalition include an intergenerational mix of current and former City employees who have experienced anti-Blackness while working for the City. Their collective experiences reflect patterns that span years and departments, reinforcing that these issues are not isolated but systemic.
Members have taken action through multiple channels. They have spoken publicly at City Council meetings, organized with fellow workers, raised concerns internally through Human Resources and Equal Employment Opportunity processes, and worked to build broader community awareness. Their efforts reflect a commitment to both truth-telling and systemic change.
The formation of the coalition represents a shift from individual complaints to collective action. It is a space where workers can come together, share experiences, and advocate for solutions that go beyond isolated cases and address the root causes of inequity.
The Long Beach Black Worker Center and Black Lives Matter Grassroots Long Beach are supportive partners of the coalition, working alongside members to amplify worker voices, provide community support, and push for policy changes that advance worker justice and racial equity.
Together, this coalition is helping to build momentum toward accountability and meaningful change in the City of Long Beach, grounded in the belief that Black workers deserve fair treatment, safe workplaces, and real opportunities to thrive.
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Learn more about what’s happening with Black workers in the City by visiting these links.
Anthony Holmes Coverage
2021 Class Action Law Suit (in progress)
https://www.classaction.org/media/stuart-et-al-v-city-of-long-beach.pdf
LA Times Article - https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-10/black-employees-sue-long-beach-citing-racial-discrimination
LB Post Article - https://lbpost.com/news/city/racial-discrimination-lawsuit-settlement-civil-service
2015 cases
Long Beach History - https://www.laconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2009-historic-context-for-city.pdf