CalEndow Live

CalEndow Live is the public programs arm of The California Endowment. With health and racial equity at the center of our programming, CalEndow Live offers inclusive and topical lectures, roundtable discussions, film screenings, critical conversations with authors, educators, organizers, activists and artists, and through town halls and creative experiences.

Calendow Live is open for all and free for the public good.

Upcoming Events:

February 16
Black Prophetic Fire: An Evening of Philosophy, Politics, and Culture with Dr. Cornel West

On February 16 at 5:30 p.m. (Pacific), Dr. Cornel West will join CalEndow Live for a special Black History Month program moderated by Dr. Robert K. Ross, President and CEO of The California Endowment. Dr. West will share memories of his upbringing in Sacramento and describe how the lessons he learned at Shiloh Baptist Church shaped his values and philosophy.

In this hourlong conversation, Dr. West and Dr. Ross will reflect on the meaning of Black History Month and take questions from our live virtual audience.

Register today to reserve your space and submit a question for Dr. West.

Past Events:

• DeRay Mckesson: Building Power for Racial Equity

  On April 12, 2021, activist, educator, and author DeRay Mckesson joined in conversation with Margarita Luna, at TCE, about his journey from Middle School math teacher to acclaimed civil rights leader and police reform advocate. DeRay shared lessons learned from the streets of Ferguson, the jail cells of Baton Rouge, and the West Wing of the White House.

• WATCH: The Race to Vaccinate: Protecting the most vulnerable Californians from COVID-19

  On March 25, 2021, a panel of esteemed health care experts discussed systemic inequities in health care, the efficiency and safety of COVID-19 vaccines, and the medical community’s role in building trust with communities of color. Speakers: Dr. Kupiri Ackerman-Barger, Dr. David Tom Cooke, and Dr. Zola Afua Mansa Chihombori Quao. Moderator, Dr. Tony Iton.
  Watch the recording here.

• George Takei: Actor, Justice Advocate, Social Media Mega-Power

  On June 29, 2021, George Takei joined CalEndow Live to discuss his remarkable life and career. He shared memories of his unjust childhood imprisonment in U.S. internment camps during World War II and reflected on his rise to Hollywood stardom and favorite memories from Star Trek. In response to questions from CalEndow Live’s online audience, George described his deep personal commitment to political activism and policy change and explained why he remains optimistic for a more equitable future.

• WATCH: Alicia Garza: The Purpose of Power

  On July 22, innovator, strategist, and organizer Alicia Garza joined members of The California Endowment’s President’s Youth Council to share lessons learned from #BlackLivesMatter and the Black Futures Lab. In conversation with Kimberly Gudino and Natalie Martinez, Alicia described the skills needed to develop successful campaigns and explained why self-care is essential for all organizers.

• WATCH: Maria Hinojosa: Storytelling for Impact

  On August 25, 2021, award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa joined CalEndow Live to explore how telling stories and changing narratives can build power and change policies. In conversation with Senior Program Manager Marisol Aviña, Hinojosa shared lessons learned from a lifetime of reporting on Latinx communities and behind-the-scenes details from her recent star turn on the film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights.

• WATCH: Angela Davis: Author, Educator, Social Justice Legend

  On October 20, 2021, Dr. Angela Davis joined CalEndow Live to discuss why building stronger communities is essential to the struggle for racial, economic and gender justice.  This hour-long conversation with more than 1,500 participants was moderated by The California Endowment’s Tamu Jones and Sandra Davis. Among many other topics, it explored the campaign for prison abolition and described how art contributes to social justice movements.

• WATCH: Women Authors of Color Reinvent the Romance Novel

  Award-winning authors Jasmine Guillory and Alisha Rai joined CalEndow Live on November 16 to discuss the national movement that’s redefining the romance genre by showcasing strong and diverse women in leading roles. In this hour-long conversation moderated by The California Endowment’s Karen Napoletano and Francisco Espinoza, Jasmine and Alisha talked about their experiences as authors and social justice advocates and described how activism contributes to their writing.

• WATCH: If We Want to Win: A Latine Vision for a New American Democracy

On December 9, contributors to the essay collection If We Want to Win discussed              their provocative vision for moving the United States toward a fairer and more                    inclusive democracy. The book’s editor, Diana Campoamor, moderated the virtual              conversation and was joined by contributors Antonia Hernandez, Alexandra                        Aquino-Fike, and Dr. Robert K. Ross, CEO of The California Endowment.

Participants discussed the essays they contributed to the collection and took                        questions from our live audience about strategies to improve equity and increase                justice throughout the United States.

WATCH: Health and Racial Justice in the 2022 Elections

On May 23, an expert panel of journalists and voting rights advocates discussed critical issues on the ballot this year. The conversation was moderated by longtime activist Daniel Zingale and featured Define American’s Jose Antonio Vargas, Voto Latino’s Maria Teresa Kumar, and Fair Count’s Rebecca DeHart. The panel suggested ways to protect your vote and advance health and racial justice in California and across the United States.

WATCH: Trans Equality Now!

Andrea Jenkins, the first Black transgender woman elected to public office in the United States, joined a panel of California activists to discuss trans joy and the ongoing movement for trans rights. Bamby Salcedo, Janetta Louise Johnson, and Yuan Wang joined the conversation, which was moderated by California Endowment Board member Kris Hayashi. Participants discussed escalating threats to transgender people, strategies for fighting back, organizing for intersectionality, and much more.

Advancing Health Equity
Awards & Workshop

Advancing Health Equity Awards honor local California public health departments who are exploring new territory and developing bold strategies to build power for health and racial equity. They showcase and reward public health department practices—with awards totaling $175,000 the first two cycles, and $235,000 the third cycle—that can inform and shape future health and racial equity work.

The Advancing Health Equity Workshop is designed for California-based public health practitioners who believe in fundamentally transforming how we approach health creation in this country. Practitioners gather to learn, support and inspire one another, and share innovative strategies that can build community voice and power for the health of all Californians.

Our intention is to hold the Awards every two years and the workshop yearly. Given how the Corona Virus is changing our social landscape, the Planning Committee is evaluating how best to bring public health practitioners together.

Youth Awards

Across the state, young people are standing at the frontlines, taking action, and leading conversations to create lasting change that will lead to a more equitable and healthy future. The Youth Awards, created in 2018, recognize and celebrate the young changemakers and youth-allied organizations that have made a tremendous impact on improving the health of their communities and across the state of California.

Award recipients are youth leaders between the ages of 13 and 26 whose actions impact public policies, create innovative models of service, strengthen local institutions, and inspire youth power in communities across California.