More than 700 people attended the free art and music festival, “#SchoolsNotPrison,” at Cal State San Bernardino to raise awareness on who California sends to prison, the cost of incarceration, and how that spending affects investments in education, health and other community needs.

The second stop of the #SchoolsNotPrison 10-city tour consisted of spoken word, powerful speeches, and six different artists, including headliners Diggy Simmons and Audio Push., who performed at CSUSB’s Santos Manuel Student Union on Aug. 27.

The event also featured artwork created by local artists that reflected social justice issues in the community.

A youth roundtable held before the concert gave young people an opportunity to discuss key issues that affect them daily in the community. Free food, T-shirts, buttons, stickers and water bottles were available to all attendees.

Community organizations from San Bernardino County also attended and offered information about the services they provide for the local community.

“The event was well organized and the message hit home for me being a California native and an advocate for social change in my community,” said Anthony Roberson, SMSU facilities coordinator. “Our campus was fortunate to be a part of this wonderful movement and helping the community enrich their social change platform. The California Endowment is a wonderful example of being a major stakeholder in leading social change for communities in California”.

#SchoolsNotPrisons is a free music and art tour that is working with California communities. Since 1984, the state of California has built 22 state prisons, while in the same time frame, it build only one university. Tour partners and artists are advocating for a new vision of school and community safety centered on health, education, and investing in youth.

According to #SchoolsNotPrisons:

  • Nationally, one third of young people will be arrested by age 23. In 2014, youth arrests outnumbered youth votes in California.
  • Overuse of suspensions for misbehavior starts as young as preschool. Nationally, black preschoolers are 3.6 times as likely as their white peers to be suspended.
  • Last year, California schools suspended more than 240,000 students. Minor misbehavior, such as defiance, was the most common cause of suspensions. Each suspension in the ninth and 10th grade increases the likelihood of dropout by 12 percent. Students who drop out are 3 times more likely to be arrested, and 8 times more likely to end up in jail or prison.
  • Students who are black, Latino and LGBTQ are more likely to be suspended than their peers.
  • Experts say many factors contribute to what is called “pushout.” These factors include the overuse of harsh school discipline, such as suspensions, inadequate funding for schools in underserved communities, the lack of counselors and health services in schools, and other supports that young people need to thrive. “School pushout” is defined as what happens when students are deprived of the education and opportunities they deserve.

Visit the #SchoolsNotPrisons website for more information the arts and music festival tour and what it advocates.

Also visit the Santos Manuel Student Union website for more information on its programs.